The Terminators: Army of Legend - Volume VII: Progeny
by Sir Areis Lionheart
Summary: The Reapers have been defeated and Alex and Terrias liberated from their influence. Indeed the world has suffered irreparable damage from the Harvest, leaving the land ripe for the taking by the beast known as the Lifehunter, the vengeful child of Messorem and Vitam. Rated M: For Strong Language, Intense War Violence, and Sexual Content NOTE: NOT RELATED TO THE CYBORG TERMINATORS
1. Prologue: Gods of War

_**Prologue**_ **:**

 **-''Gods of War''-**

 **-Jerusalem, Promised Land-**

 **- _Date Unspecified_ -**

 **- _Midnight_ -**

A knight upon a black horse raced through the plains, entering the city gates, cracked open for him, and sprinting ahead. The gates snapped closed behind him, thunder bellowed and lightning flashed in the dark skies above, illuminating the world. "They art near!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, "The Beast's army is at our gates!"

Behind him,the archers upon the city walls began to fire flaming arrows outside, and the trebuchets were quickly moved into position, loaded, and fired.

"Where is Messoremel?" the horseman called, nearing the great stone castle in the center of the fortified village, "We need him here!"

"He is in his quarters," one of the guards replied, "What worries thee?"

"The Beast is attacking our walls, we need him out here!"

Lightning illuminated the room through the diamond grid windows as Messorem quietly climbed out of bed, turning to face Vitam still sleeping peacefully. He knelt to part her hair, kissing her head before righting himself, walking across the room to where his black, steel armor lay neatly piled on a chest. There was a light knocking on the door and he quickly jogged over, clad in only his animal pelt undergarments. He opened the door, spying Ophelia, his personal assistant and guardian standing outside, "Messorem, the guards have called for thee. The Beast is at our gates."

The archangel only nodded, "I will be there posthaste."

Ophelia nodded, turning and walking away, returning to her chambers. Messorem gently closed the door behind her, rotating on his heels to spy Vitam, wearing a nightgown, standing in the doorway to their bedroom, "What is wrong, love?"

"They have struck again."

"Art thee leaving?"

"The guard wants me at the gates...to help drive them off."

He quickly armored himself, turning around just as Vitam leaned forward to kiss him, hugging him, "Take great care of thineself, our love is still too young for me to be a widowed woman."

Messorem nodded, kissing his wife back, "But of course," and he bowed his head as Vitam put his helmet on him, handing him Bloodreaver, his bloodred, crystal sword, its blade surrounded in a blood-like mist.

"May the Lord watch over thee."

The reaper only nodded, sheathing his blade and opening the reinforced, wooden door, stepping out into the hall between his private quarters and the rest of the keep.

Messorem stepped outside into the downpour, finding the guards all on high alert, running towards the gates. Up ahead, he could hear the firing of the ballistae and the trebuchets towards the enemies outside of the walls. He quickly dashed to the stable, smoothing climbing onto his mare, as black as night with eyes the color of blood, who had been already armored for him by the stable boy. Petting the beast gently, he rushed out of the building, his mind flying like the wind across the winding, cobblestone road, heading towards the market district at the bottom of the bluff.

Upon arriving at the gates, currently barred, with a large mass of knights, pikemen, and horsemen gathering around, a voice called out to him, "Father, the guard brought thee out here as well?"

"Ah! Deitus, it is good to see thee, I trust thy sword and senses art sharp?"

"The Legate has completed my training," the young man said. He was of the fine age of seventeen, with his normally pallid skin tanned and burned from his training. His hair was long and straight, coal-black and hanging down to his shoulders, and his eyes were a bright, brilliant orange. His fine, smooth hands, still having yet to face combat or any serious labor, were trembling, holding the leather reins of his ashen gray mount unsteadily, though with fear or the rainy chill, the archangel did not know.

"Excellent...now we get to see first hand whether Raziel has trained you right."

"For a human, the Legate is knowledgeable in warfare."

"I trained him personally," Messorem chuckled, "I would only hope so, else that time hath been wasted for naught."

"I assure thee father, I shall not let thee down."

"Art thee afraid?

Deitus scoffed, "No! I am strong, I am a man."

"Thine hands are trembling...can thou wieldeth a sword properly?"

"Thine doubt is misplaced, dear father. I am strong, I can fight."

"We shalt see..." then he called to the gatekeeper, "Open the gates! We art prepared!"

While the heavy, reinforced gates were slowly opened and the drawbridge lowered over the moat, Messorem's forces launched out of the castle village and into the fields beyond. Spearheading the army, with Messorem himself at the helm and Deitus to his right, the Old Regime, adorned in their ornate, steel armor, roughly designed into the appearance of a wolf to spark fear in their foes.

In a flash of lightning, the defending forces saw them...demons made entirely of shadow, clawing out of the ground like some undead hellspawn, With their fire and holy magic, the creatures of _Filios Diaboli_ were destroyed and banished from the earth, sent back to the deepest realms of Hell. As the battle continued, a stray bolt appeared out of nowhere, grazing past Messorem and striking Deitus, knocking the young man off his mount and to the ground.

Screaming his son's name, Messorem tightly pulled back on the reins, his horse rearing into the air and flipping around unsteadily, rocketing back towards where Deitus lay, attempting to throw one of the shadow beasts off of him. In a swift, fluid motion, the archangel withdrew Soulreaper, a smooth, glassy blade, crafted from an aqua-colored crystal. This brilliant, blue blade quickly decapitated the shadowy monster, the demon's body turning into a black mist and quickly becoming sucked into the pure blue blade. Once the mist was absorbed, there was a brief flash of light, and the dark blue, almost black gem set into the silver pommel glowed with a scalding heat.

"Father!" Deitus exclaimed, but Messorem quickly rode past him, grabbing his son's outstretched arm and lifting the immortal demigod onto the back of his pitch black mount.

Soon, the defending army reached the heart of the invading party, where the traitorous archangel Lucifer, clad in armor crafted to look like a dragon, was barking commands towards his forces, sitting atop an unnatural, bloodred mount. As Messorem passed by, he leaped off his horse, giving the reins to Deitus and throwing himself into the evil archangel, knocking them both to the ground. They briefly wrestled in the mud before Lucifer gained the advantage tearing Soulreaper free from Messorem's scabbard and preparing to thrust the blade, capable of killing both angels and demons, into the reaper's breast. Before he could, however, Deitus steered the archreaper's mare back around, roaring as he rammed into Lucifer, knocking him to the ground and dropping off the horse. The beast herself continued sprinting back towards the castle village, and Deitus stared both Messorem and Lucifer down.

The rogue archangel chuckled, picking himself and wiping the blood from his mouth, saying, "Thou must be the bastard crossbreed of the reaper and the ascended human."

"Silence!" Deitus hissed, but he was trembling weakly, and Messorem sat up.

"Deitus! Back away!"

"Art thee a slave to thine father? Surely thou art old enough to maketh thine own decisions?"

Deitus slowly dropped his weapon, a crossbow, from his shoulder, aiming towards the treacherous archangel.

Lucifer only grinned, shrugging, "Thou art nothing more than the rest of God's angels, lesser creation and slaves to the humans. What a pathetic existence. I fight to liberate _all_ of the angels from the King's dictatorial command, yet thou will blindly follow thine father like a swine to the slaughter. But go ahead, destroy me, silence the resistance."

"Deitus..." Messorem warned, "Back away. Let me kill this wretched beast!"

"Yes, do what daddy tells thee...or perhaps...be thine own person...be free of his abuse, be free to make thine own choices. Art thou a free man? Or art thou but a slave. Join me, together, we will ensure that we art given the same rights as the humans."

"Deitus...don't listen to him! He's corrupt and treacherous!"

"This is an offer I will only extend once...so choose wisely."

"Deitus..." and Messorem stood, walking towards his son, "I ordered thee to stay away!"

Just as Messorem was about to pull Deitus away, the young man, eyes streaming, turned towards his father, firing the bolt into him. With a hiss, the reaper attempted to pull the bolt free, but Deitus loaded another one, slowly approaching his father and taking aim.

"Yes...free thineself from this abusive wretch! Kill him!"

Before Deitus had a chance to shoot, Raziel appeared from behind, impaling him with the dropped Soulreaper. Although the weapon did not kill the immortal being, he collapsed to the ground in pain, and the Old Regime soon surrounded them, laying into Lucifer who teleported away.

"Father..." Deitus, on the ground, began, crawling towards the reaper, hand clutching his chest.

"Don't touch me!" he hissed, "I am not thine father, and thou art not my son."

This alarmed the boy, who visibly flinched, "No...father, I'm sorry, I..."

"Leave me be! Thou art nothing more than a disrespectful disgrace to God's holy name. Be gone wretched spawn! Never return to our home! Thou art banished from our sacred home!"

"Father! Wait!"

"I said _BEGONE_!" and Raziel helped the severely wounded Messorem to a stand, leading him back to the city, leaving Deitus sitting in the mud and rain, sobbing for his father to reconsider, but he was ignored.


	2. Chapter I: Checkmate

_**Chapter I**_ **:**

 **-''Checkmate''-**

 **-New Alexandria, Montana-**

 **- _30 May 2015_ -**

 **- _1814 Hours_ -**

"Alex! Get up!"

Great Commander Alex Vaughn was startled from his daze by Terrias' voice, and his cold blue, killer's eyes snapped open to find the servine kneeling beside him, extending a paw.

"Are you okay?" and the creature tossed the Commander an AK47.

"What happened?"

"Oil rig collapsed on us...luckily we weren't underneath it when she decided to go down, we need to find the others...they _are_ still alive, right?"

"Yeah," Alex replied, "Last I saw them, everyone was at the command center."

"Let's go there then."

They fought across the southern business district of New Alexandria, Montana, capital of the Terminator Militia, heading north.

"Hope Alpha Company's all right..." the servine said nervously.

"They're fine," the Commander replied, eyes distant. Every time he closed his eyes, horrific memories of his time as the brainwashed Thanatos, general of the sentient, organic, genocidal machines known as the Reaper Armada, would flood before his vision. Thankfully, Harbinger, the Reaper commander, had fallen silent and was no longer tormenting the Commander telepathically. Around the duo, the Reaper's shock forces, including other brainwashed soldiers, referred to as indoctrinated, the mechanical, converted, reanimated corpses known as the infected, and the cloned velociraptors from the experiment known as _Perditus_ , pestered Alex and Terrias relentlessly. At least no more of the flying squid-like machines themselves were in the air...were the Reapers really gone at last?

On their way to the military district, they received a call for help from Dash, who's unit was pinned down in the northern Business District by an army of infected. The duo decided to relieve her first, and upon arriving at the scene, were stunned to find the entire area crawling with hundreds of the mutilated, zombified corpses. Alex and Terrias moved in perfect synchronization, cutting down the Reaper forces and carving their way towards their trapped allies. Upon emerging through the crowd, the Pegasus quickly ran up to her mate, embracing him tightly and kissing him repeatedly, "You came just in time!" she then asked, "Did you take care of Ares?"

Falling silent, grin diminishing into a frown, Alex awkwardly stepped aside to allow Terrias through. The Pegasus' eyes widened, and she blinked in surprise, "Terrias...?"

"I'm gone for a little over a year and everything goes to hell, Jesus..."

Grinning widely, Dash abruptly tackled Terrias to the ground, the two embracing, "Jesus, Terrias! Where the hell have you...?" and she suddenly connected the dots. Appearing worried, the Pegasus turned to face Alex, asking, "Was Ares...?"

The Commander nodded, and Terrias frowned, looking away, "They got him...same way they got me," Alex replied.

"But I thought Zack killed him!?"

"I was bested, I fell into a pit and broke my neck. Zack captured me, attached this damned device on me," and the servine tapped the metal spine barred into his body, "His goal was to puppet my body...though it never had a chance to be realized before he was killed. Shortly after that, the Reapers hijacked me through this damned thing."

"Alex..." Dash began, worried, "You know the others will probably not take this very well."

"I'm well aware," he replied, "But I'll do whatever I can to help be accepted again...we were _both_ under the Reaper influence, so it's as much _his_ fault as it was mine."

Dash only nodded, "Well...it's good to see you back, Terrias...we all thought we lost you."

He smiled, "Well...just so long as I have one friend left at least..."

"Where are the others?" Alex suddenly asked, "Are they all right?"

"Far as I'm concerned, yeah," the Pegasus replied, "Can't friggin' believe that Bleu's plan worked..."

"Are they still in the command center?"

"No, after you left everyone moved out. We all went to different corners of the city, trying to help keep the machines at bay until they were gone. I think a few of them called back to the command center to regroup, like Spyro and Cynder, but the rest are who the hell knows where."

"Do you know where any of 'em are?"

Dash suddenly nodded, "Yeah...I think I heard Zinnia say she was cornered a few miles east."

"Son of a bitch..." Alex breathed, "All right, I'll meet you back at the command center..." and Alex prepared to run off, shortly before he was tackled to the ground by Dash.

"What the h..." he began, but was cut off as the Pegasus kissed him, "Take care of yourself...all right? I'm glad you're back...and I'd hate to lose you again."

Alex only nodded, "I will...and I'm glad to be back, too..." before he picked himself up and running off, Terrias in tow.

"Terrias!" Dash called, "It's good to see you back, too! Aria will be _very_ happy!"

He only waved in response before turning around and following the Commander once again.

They found Zinnia, along with the raptors, blocking themselves off in a heavily shelled, three-story building. Cutting through the indoctrinated and _Perditus_ forces, Alex and Terrias swiftly raced up the stairs to reunite with Zinnia, resting against a half-destroyed wall, out of breath. Upon emerging on the third floor, Tiberius appeared from seemingly out of nowhere, tackling the servine and hissing, "Ares!"

"Hey! Easy! He's a friend!" Alex called, "He's on our side now!"

"Tiberius!" Zinnia called, "Stand down, hon."

After several tense moments, the male _deinonychus_ backed down with a snort, hissing towards them, "Make one wrong move, and you'll _both_ be dead!"

"Who are you? _What_ are you?" Athena, Tiberius' twin sister, asked shyly towards the servine.

"Name's Terrias..." he replied, "I'm a servine...native to the Regions."

At the mention of the area, a series of islands off the coast of Japan, Zinnia straightened, and she stood. Her bare legs, arms, and face were covered in mud, her short black hair, tied in a ponytail, was matted and in disarray, and her fine, dark blue clothes were stained. The girl instantly ran up to the Commander, hugging him tightly, "I'm so glad to see you okay!"

Alex chuckled nervously, "Yeah...it's good to see you, too, Zinnia."

"So..." she began, nodding towards Terrias, "Was this Ares?"

The Commander nodded, "Yes...but before then, he was an old friend of mine."

"You're from the Regions?" the girl asked the servine.

"Not necessarily," Terrias replied, "My ancestry ties back there...but I was born and raised here in New Alexandria."

"Are you Aria's mate?" the girl asked.

The servine nodded, "Yeah."

"She'll be very happy to see you again...she's been missing you."

"I can only imagine..." and Terrias sighed, "Listen...I'm sorry if I've caused any of you guys any problems."

Tiberius snorted in irritation, Athena said nothing, and Zinnia only hugged him, "Hey...we all make mistakes. Besides, I know you weren't in control over yourself."

"I hope Ruby is still okay..." Alex frowned.

Zinnia stiffened, "Yeah...about that..." but she was interrupted by a call on the radio, "Sir! Another one of those damned machines has arrived!"

"Where?" Alex asked, walking away.

"In Town Center...this thing is fucking _HUGE!_ "

Following this, Bleu radioed the Commander next, "Alex...for some reason I can't control this unit...it's too strong...is there any way you can get down there and see what you can do? I've already commissioned everyone we got to head down there and Rocket's bringing his cannon."

Alex exchanged nervous glances with Terrias, both mouthing at the same time, " _Harbinger_..." before the Commander turned away again, replying, "We're on our way now..." Alex turned to face Zinnia again, "Why don't you take Tiberius and Athena back to the command center...Terrias and I will take care of this bastard."

"Do you think you two can take it alone?"

Both the Commander and the servine exchanged bitter glances, and Terrias said, "We have some unfinished business to settle."

The pair rushed out of the building through a back door and into an alley. The quickest path to Town Center was a series of alleys, taking them less than a mile north, instead of taking the normal path, which would take them at least a mile west before another half mile to the north. Traveling through the alleys also reduced the number of resistant they would encounter from the Reapers, as most of the Reaper forces would go after the primary routes. Here, they encountered very few enemy units, only finding one or two small teams that had either gotten lost or had just wandered off.

The creatures were quickly dealt with, and Alex called telepathically, _Piermont! One of those damn machines in in Town Center! Can you give us a lift?_

The dragon responded almost instantaneously, _I would if I wouldn't have lost my wing to that fucking bat back in Eden...hold on, I'll send Cherub your way._

Suddenly, with a booming roar, the shining, gold body of the Martaanean field dragon landed down the block from them, engulfing the alerted infected forces around her in flames. Alex quickly sprinted up to her, Terrias struggling to keep up. Upon spying the servine, Cherub's jaw dropped and her eyes widened, " _Terrias_!? You're alive!"

"Yeah...will explain later," the servine replied impatiently, quickly climbing onto the golden beast's back, "Right now, we got a giant fucking death machine that's have a jolly could stroll through Town Center."

"How's Sarah?" Alex asked.

Cherub did not respond, refusing to acknowledge her rider outside of a simple, "She's fine enough."

Soon after, the she-dragon, Piermont's mate, rocketed into the skies, flying fast and low straight north. Even from here, both Alex and Terrias could see the unmistakable form of Harbinger, unique from the rest of its brethren by its larger body, higher amount of armor and weapons, and its three golden eyes, over the other machines' two. Its eye-lights flashed briefly and it trumpeted mightily, reaching out to Alex, _So...you have also broken Ares...you will regret all of this with time._

 _We'll see about that!_ Alex hissed.

Its attention now turned towards the trio, Harbinger ignored the other Terminator forces pestering it, barely denting its shields, and the immense machine began to creep towards the fast-approaching dragon, charging its primary weapon, a giant plasma cannon. "Cherub!" Terrias bellowed, "Flame its shields! Eventually you'll overpower it!"

"I know how to take down a fucking Reaper!" the she-dragon hissed, dodging the fired beam of light with a smooth aileron roll, "You forget, we've been dealing with these monstrosities for a year!"

 _I am merely here to evolve you..._ Harbinger began, _To save the human species, it must evolve!_ We _are your evolution!_

Cherub commenced her first pass, breathing an unbroken stream of white fire across the machine's hull. Its shields flickered blue in the contact, but otherwise it remained unscathed, only turning around to face the dragon again, charging its cannon once more. "Look out!" Alex roared, but Cherub evaded this with a barrel roll.

She snapping back. "I know how to fight these things, Alex!"

With a grunt, Alex tapped his earpiece, saying, "Message to all units: Concentrate fire on the Reaper in Town Center, it's imperative we overpower its shields!"

 _You fear only what you do not understand..._ Harbinger continued, _So allow me to explain...we are immortal, timeless...we will liberate you from your existential mortality._

 _You are only driving us to extinction!_ Alex hissed.

 _It is the only way. Only through death of your current form will you be granted immortality. The union of organic and synthetic life is the destiny of all organisms. From your history, like seeds in Spring, you have thrived and grown. For your race, it is now Autumn, and the time of the Harvest is here..._ we _are your harvesters._

Finally, a burst of blue fire emerged from one of its legs causing it to trumpet in surprise...and maybe even pain. Its legs briefly gave out upon it, but it soon recovered, standing upright again, even at its shields flickered unsteadily.

"That's it!" Terrias howled, "Keep it up!"

Cherub commenced another pass, blasting fire down across it once more. This time, another burst of blue fire shot from its head, blowing pieces of the hull and exposing alien scaffolding beneath, as well as the glowing blue power core for its onboard shield generator.

 _What are you doing!?_

"Take that you son of a bitch!" Alex cackled wildly.

 _Ares, Thanatos...do reconsider..._

But another explosion blew off a massive plate from it back, exposing the fleshy core within.

Its severely weakened shields struggled to keep up with the constant barrage of attacks, and now explosions were occurring repeatedly all across its body, each one blowing more and more of its armor off to reveal what lay beneath. After another pass from Cherub, there was a violent series of explosions, dozens occurring consecutively across its entire hull, emitting enough light, heat, and wind to disorient everyone attacking. When their vision cleared and the dragons stabilized once more, Alex and Terrias' jaws dropped at the creature. The vast majority of Harbinger's hull had been blown away, revealing a ghastly, wrecked form, as if the ship came from a scrapyard. The blue light near the top of its head flickered out and its shields gave way completely. Now with the combined attacks against it having no barrier to deal with and the machine itself more vulnerable than ever before, Harbinger was unable to steady itself, let alone retaliate.

Pieces of its body continued to fall freely from the machine, crashing into Town Center and scattering its ground-based assailants, but still the attacks continued, unrelenting. Finally, from the industrial district to the west, a lone gunship appeared, and over the line, the raccoon named Rocket screamed, "EAT THIS, BITCH!"

In a blast of light and heat, a massive plasma beam rocketed from the front of the ship, tearing cleanly through Harbinger's body. The creature trumpeted a deathcry, collapsing forward and slamming to the ground with enough force to topple two skyscrapers in the square. Still, the machine attempted to pick itself up, but its body was too weak to do anything but prop it up, exposing it to another blast from the Reaper cannon affixed to the ship. Finally, it collapsed for the final time, it eye lights flickering out into darkness...and the world fell silent.

When the smoke cleared, revealing the destroyed machine laying still and unmoving on the ground, Cherub landed in the heart of the square, out of breath. Alpha Company quickly hurried over to her, and Alex and Terrias dismounted, both walking towards the machine to ensure it was truly dead.

"We...we did it," Alex chuckled, "Holy crap...we actually did it!"

Terrias snarled, kicking a chunk of steel, launching it across the brick plaza, "And stay dead you son of a bitch!"

"It's you..." a small voice spoke from behind, and Terrias turned to see Aria walking slowly up to him, eyes wide with shock.

He smiled towards her, "It's me." and his mate immediately ran up to him, hugging him tightly. Terrias only held her, burying his head in her shoulder, "It's me..."

"Alex!" another voice called out, and Alex turned, only to be forcefully embraced by Sapphire, alarmed by the bull dolphin's surprising display of emotion and excitement, "It's true! You _are_ alive!"

Alex chuckled, petting the beast, "Of course...you can't get rid of me that easily, you know..." and the Commander frowned, replying in a low voice, "Where's Ruby?"

Sapphire grimaced, lowering his head, "Ask your second-in-command..." before he walked away, heading somewhere unknown.

Alex looked towards the bull dolphin before navigating the massive crowd, calling for Spyro. He found the purple dragon speaking with his mate, Cynder, and Piermont, in his human form. "You did good, Alex!" Spyro laughed, "Brought down Harbinger...and you killed Ares, too, right?"

"Spyro," Alex began grimly, "Where's Ruby?"

The purple dragon instantly sobered, his grin quickly dissolving into a frown of defeat, and vaguely, of fear, "Um...about that."

"WHERE IS _RUBY!?_ " Alex boomed, causing startled looks all around, and everyone in the immediate area to back away from him.

Spyro held himself high, attempting to lessen the blow to his ego, "You must understand...we had no choice..."

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!?" Alex roared, pouncing the purple dragon and pinning him to the ground, holding an arm against the dragon's throat.

Spyro struggled to breathe, snarling through bared teeth, "She's...she's..."

"WHERE IS SHE!?"

"ASYLUM! She's in...the asylum!" Spyro managed, and Alex weakened his restraining grip, allowing the dragon to gasp for breath. The Commander himself backed away in horror, and Spyro looked up to face him, snarling, "That bitch was suicidal...she damn near succeeded, too...we didn't have time to look after her _and_ fend off the Reapers...so we...I...handed her off to a mental hospital in Helena."

"You are gonna take me to her," Alex said, voice eerily cold and calm, a _very_ dangerous sign.

Spyro only smirked, "I would if I could...but unfortunately, she's in solitary confinement...absolutely _no_ one is permitted to see her."

"Why?"

All eyes of Alpha Company, unknowing of the dolphin cow's fate, turned to face the duo, and Spyro, with a sigh, admitted, "She had a nervous breakdown...murdered seven doctors, wounded dozens of others. She was being held in solitary...and due to the collapse in the prison system from...you guessed it...the fucking Reapers...she's being held there in a substitute cell...on death row."


	3. Chapter II: Reconciliation

_**Chapter II**_ **:**

 **-''Reconciliation''-**

 **-New Alexandria, Montana-**

 **- _02 June 2015_ -**

 **- _0124 Hours_ -**

Spyro stood in his and Cynder's shared bathroom, staring at his deeply scarred reflection in the mirror. He had mixed feelings on Alex and Terrias' return...on one hand he was glad to see his old friends back, but on the other, he was hoping that they _wouldn't_ return, this was especially prominent in Alex. Although the Commander was a good friend...he knew all too well what was going to happen now that the young man was back. As if confirming his suspicions, he washed his face, lifting up his head to see Cynder standing in the doorway. She smiled mischievously towards him, trotting over to the dragon and nuzzling him, "So, what's the plan tonight, sexy? Do you think we can maybe get Alex involved?"

For some reason, this flirtatious remark irritated the purple dragon, and he spat, "Not interested."

She seemed genuinely surprised, asking, "What's wrong?"

He frowned, "Absolutely nothing...just not interested tonight."

"That's strange...are you _sure_ you're feeling all right?"

"I said I'm fine," he hissed, "Lay off my back already."

This stunned the dragoness, and she frowned, all happiness draining from her face, as the dragon walked passed her and back into their room, "Did I do something wrong?" Cynder asked, but she was ignored. "Spyro? Talk to me..."

Nothing.

"Please?"

Still nothing, he only climbed into bed, turning away from her, "What's gotten into you?" she asked, concern in her voice, "Ever since Alpha split up, you've been...you've been a total ass, to be honest."

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with _me_!? How about this, if you're so fucking horny, how about you go to Alex, since I'm sure he can please you in ways I surely can't."

"What did I do to you?"

He sighed, holding back his tongue, searching for the right words until, "Listen, there's something we need to talk about...something that's been bothering me for several years. I was too afraid to say anything about it, but then I just...stopped caring shortly after Alex fell. Only reason why I didn't say anything after that is because I thought that it was too petty and too soon. Now Alex is very clearly alive and everything is A-Okay, I need to tell you some things that have been bothering me."

"Of course...what's wrong?"

"Do you _actually_ love me?"

"Of course I do..."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes...why?"

"Because I've been having doubts."

"Why?"

He shrugged, "I just...have."

"What did I ever do to give you grief?"

"Ever since you and Alex became a thing... _our_ relationship has changed, and not for the better. Like I said, I put up with it for a long time...hoping that it was just you fulfilling a fetish and that things would get back to normal between us. Here's the problem though...do you remember what it was like when you and I first mated?"

She smiled, "It was wonderful."

"Indeed it was...but then you got with Alex, and something changed. It was like you didn't love me anymore, that I was nothing more than some kind of living sex toy. When Ruby entered the scene...I guess things got better...for awhile...but then you went back to pining for him...and it seemed like you stopped caring about me, or at least, you stopped loving me. Losing Alex was terrible but..." he shook his head, "I did have the vain hope that, without him, things could get back to how they once were between us. That our love could be rekindled...and then when I walked in on you that day in the shower...I found myself doubting...would you _ever_ do that for me?"

Cynder appeared as if she was about to cry, offended, "Spyro...I..."

"Just hear me out, Cynder...I get it. Okay? I get it...it's a lot better dicking around with the forbidden fruit than it is doing it the old-fashioned way. I'm not mad, I'm really not...but I saw the way you looked at him earlier today when you found out he was still alive. I'm...I've gotten to the point where I just...I don't care anymore. You know me more than anyone, and when I enter that stage...that's when things start getting bad."

"How could you ever say such a thing!?" she exclaimed, aghast, "I would never choose someone over you!"

He smiled sadly, "You already have..." and he looked away, "Do me a favor...just...drop the charade. Go be with Alex, since I know that's what you want...and he's free now that Sarah's left him."

Cynder stood in the doorway, jaw dropped, shaking her head in denial, "Spyro..."

"Please, Cynder...I don't want to hear it...I'm at a point now where I just...you go where you need to be happy...I just know that said place isn't with me by your side."

"Nothing's different between us..." Cynder replied, crying, "Please don't do this..."

"Goodnight, Cynder..."

"Spyro?"

But she was ignored.

Alex lay in bed, unable to sleep. He checked the clock by his bedside, reading a little after seven in the morning, and he growled, rolling onto his back again and staring at the ceiling. Every time he would close his eyes, he would only see the death and destruction he was responsible for as Thanatos. He was lucky to may have received an hour or two of sleep that night...most of it had been spent with him worrying about Ruby's safety. After everyone had returned home the previous day and both Alex and Terrias had explained their absences, the Commander had spent hours talking with the hospital where the dolphin was staying, trying to get in to see her. Because she was in solitary and under heavy sedation and observation, there were dozens of obstacles he had to leap through, and a lot of convincing, before he could make any significant progress in his mission. Unfortunately, he wasn't having much luck in the matter, and he figured that he would probably waste another ungodly amount of time today trying to see her.

Before that, however, he had a few things he had to do first...and with Piermont out of commission from his damaged wing and Cherub flying back to where her rider lived later today, he was going to talk Cherub into letting him come with her to see Sarah. They were supposed to get married the previous year, actually a month before Alex had been fallen and been captured by the Reapers. He could only hope that she was still willing to go through with it.

There was a light knocking on his door, and at first Alex thought it was Cynder. Upon opening it however, he saw the little, bipedal raccoon that had helped them take down Harbinger, Rocket, standing on the other side. "Sorry to bother you," Rocket began, "Forgot some of my stuff in here."

"Can't wait till later?"

Rocket shook his head, "The warp drive on Quill's ship has been fixed...meaning we're heading back home in a half hour."

"You sound real excited about that."

"To be honest, actually had a bit of fun blowing the hell out of the Reapers, you got some good guys here...although they may want to work on their interpersonal relationships a bit...kinda feel bad for Ruby. She's a good girl, a nice person...she don't deserve half the shit they put her through."

"What happened?"

"Well, after you supposedly died...Alpha split up, went every which way. They were apparently forced to get back together by Fox and Bleu to take on the Reapers...poor Ruby was caught in the crossfire. They took out her frustrations on her."

" _What_?"

"Yeah...especially Piermont and Spyro...seeing the crap they did to her, guess it's no surprise she was suicidal. Thought everyone hated her, outright called out for being worthless, insignificant, and too weak to pose any benefit to the unit...oh and Piermont literally _told_ her the world would be better off if she ran away and offed herself. Was hoping she was a little stronger to resist it..."

Alex replied in a solemn, cold tone, "She's been abused her entire life..."

"Oh shit...well, unfortunately, things weren't much easier here. I really do hope you can get in to see her, Alex...maybe you'll help bring her back to her senses...she was pretty out of it before Spyro sent her off."

"...I'll talk to them."

"Just don't drop my name...they don't trust me enough as it is, last thing I need is to get my ass hunted down because I pissed off those two."

"Why don't you stick around? Always room for another brother to join our ranks."

"Would like to, but that's Quill's decision, not mine...'sides, Alpha isn't very friendly to people outside of their immediate circle. Ruby was the only one who really kinda brought me on as a friend...and we all see where _that_ left her."

As Rocket finished packing up his things, Alex walked over to the doors leading out onto his balcony, leaning against them, peering out into the sunlit morning. When Rocket was about to leave, Alex briefly called, "Thanks for your help...without you we might not have been able to stop Harbinger...and thanks for keeping an eye on Alpha while I was gone...especially Ruby."

"No problem...you got some good people, Alex, despite their little quirks. It was nice to meet you, too...I can see why Ruby liked you so much."

Alex smiled sadly, "I really hope she's okay."

"To be honest...so do I. Anyway, guess I'll be seeing you."

"Before you go, talk to Quill, tell him my offer...we can always use more friendlies in the Terminator Militia, if he decides to stick around, you guys are welcome to."

Rocket nodded, "I'll see what I can do...see ya."

"Bye," and the raccoon left the room, quietly closing the door behind him. After several minutes of silence, the Commander, realizing that sleep was out of the question, quickly dressed himself and stepped outside into the rest of the darkened Suite 1, intending to get breakfast from the restaurant downstairs.

He quietly crept along the hall, heading towards the door into the rotunda when a small voice called behind him, "Alex?"

The Commander stiffened, turning to face the source of the sound. Cynder was curled into a ball, yawning sleepily on the couch, buried in blankets and pillows, "Cyn? What the hell are you doing out here?"

She frowned, "I think I screwed up..."

"So what happened between you and Spyro?" Alex asked the she-dragon, digging into his newly-arrived breakfast. The two sat across from each other in a booth at Cisco's Bar & Grill, located in the lobby of Club Camelot.

The she-dragon sighed, "After you fell and we began dealing with the Reapers...he changed. I think we _all_ did but...Alpha Company split when you disconnected from the mind bank. We would _still_ be gone if Bleu and Fox wouldn't have gotten us back together again. Anyway...so I didn't take the forced return to New Alexandria very well...I hit a lot of hard times, did some things I'm not proud of and..." she wiped her eyes, "I've hurt him...now he's mad at me and he's...he doesn't love me anymore, he says he feels nothing now."

"What did you do?"

"He caught me cutting myself in the shower...in grief over what happened...things haven't been the same since. Then I, as stupid as ever, tried seducing him last night and...suggested if we could invite you. He's convinced now that I don't care about him anymore...that I love you more than him..." she broke down again, "Alex...I just want my mate back. He's been so...so distant and mean lately...he's changed and it scares me. He doesn't even acknowledge our children as his own...I just want him back."

She crawled over to him, burying her head in his lap and crying softly. He gently pet her, kissing the top of her head, "Listen...what we had between us was sweet...it really was...but perhaps it's time we _both_ move on."

"I'll lose you, too?"

He pursed his lips, "Not necessarily...but you shouldn't be worrying about me...if you want to win his heart back, you need to be loyal to him...and _only_ him. I admit, perhaps things got a little out of hand between us...but if we want to find love, and _keep_ love, we need to treat our partners as such. I'm going to pay a visit to Sarah today, and _you_ need to, at least for now, forget about everything that happened between us and give Spyro a reason to trust you again. You two have been through a lot together, I'm sure that after some time, things will improve again...but you cannot be running around trying to get in bed with me."

She nodded.

"Listen, Cyn..." and he held her head up, looking into her sapphire eyes, "I love you, I really do...but you belong with him, not me."

She only nodded again, sniffling and hugging him tightly, "I love you, Alex..."

He only nodded, "Go talk to him, tell him how you _really_ feel. Be honest with him, and you'll win his heart back."

Saying nothing, she kissed him lightly on the cheek, thanking him before hopping down from her seat and leaving the restaurant. Soon after she left, Cherub walked in, nodding towards the Commander, "You ready to go?"

"Gimme like five minutes to finish eating and I'll be right there."

Cherub landed smoothly just outside of Ellsworth, Illinois, in the center of a brilliant, green field. The temperature was warm, the wind was calm, the sun was shining, and birds chirped somewhere in the nearby woods. Directly ahead of them, across the field, lay the small house that the Commander's _fiance_ , Sarah Rogers, lived in, and he smiled.

"Alex..." Cherub suddenly began, "There's some things I feel like you should know..."

"Don't worry," Alex replied, looking towards the bouquet of roses he brought, "I'll break the news to her gently," and he slowly walked towards the property, walking across the sidewalk, through the trees, and to the wooden porch. He paused in front of the door, gathering up the courage before opening the screen and knocking on the door, waiting patiently. A young man, roughly the same age as Alex, tall, lanky, with short, dirty blonde hair and blue eyes opened the door, nodding towards the Commander, "Is Sarah Rogers here?" Alex asked.

The man cast him a peculiar gaze before replying with a shake of the head, "Sorry, sir...can't say that she does..." and he closed the door, heading back inside. Frowning, Alex turned around, heading back to where Cherub lay in the field, sunning herself.

"You sure this is the right place?" Alex asked.

"Alex?" a small voice called from behind him, and the Commander rotated on his heels, finding Sarah, holding an arm to her belly, nearly collapse to the ground in astonishment. Tears in her eyes, the young woman ran to him and they embraced, the girl continuing, "You're alive..."

He nodded, "Yes, I am...sorry I'm late."

When she broke the embrace, giving him an awkward expression, she looked nervously towards the house, "Listen...you probably shouldn't be here..."

"Who was that guy?"

She frowned, looking towards the ground and unconsciously rubbing her belly...it was only then that Alex noticed she wore a _very_ different wedding ring on her finger, and there was a slight bump in her stomach. It didn't take long to connect the dots, and Alex felt his heart sink at the realization, "That's...my husband."

In shock, the Commander turned to face Cherub, who only nodded soberly in confirmation. He turned to face his ex- _fiance_ once again, "You...you're married?"

She nodded, "Yes."

"How long?"

"Two months."

Alex slowly sat down on the ground, rubbing his temples, and Sarah knelt beside him, "I...I'm sorry..." Alex managed.

"After you...vanished..." she began, "My old friends from college helped me get the funeral arrangements and everything done...they also provided me with support during the time. Mark, he..." she wiped her nose on the back of her hand, "Mark helped me through most of that...for the longest time, he was the only one there for me. If I would have known that you were still alive...but you were missing...you'd been missing for a year and...officially you were dead. That's what General Elliot told me, that's what Cherub told me, that what it said over the news..."

"I'm sorry, Sarah..."

"Where _were_ you?" she asked him accusingly, "Where did you go?"

"I was captured..." Alex replied, "Held captive by the Reapers...they severed my contact with the mutual mind bank and I was their slave for...God knows how long..."

"Sarah!" Mark said, opening the window and calling out to them, "Show's on!"

"I'll be right there!" she called back, and she turned to face the Commander again, "Do me a favor, Alex..."

"Yes?"

"Don't take this the wrong way...don't get caught up in all of this, I'm sure there's plenty of people out there who are accepting of your...partners..."

Alex only nodded, straightening once again, "Congratulations, I guess..."

She smiled towards him, "I love you, Alex...I'm glad you're okay."

He said nothing, "Guess I should go back home..." but he was interrupted as Sarah kissed him on the mouth one last time.

"Goodbye, Ali..."

"Goodbye..."

Cherub flew over New Alexandria, heading towards Club Camelot, intending to drop the Commander off before heading back to Ellsworth. Breaking the silence that had lasted the entire flight, the she-dragon asked him, "You okay?"

Alex shook his head, "Everything's changed...everybody's moved on."

"Well...it's been over a year...did you really expect people to go on forever without you? Not to sound rude or anything but...as you've said so yourself. Death is a part of life, something nobody can escape from, no sense dwelling on it."

"Least you still have Piermont," he replied bitterly.

Cherub frowned, "He's changed, too...when you were disconnected...he hasn't been the same. He just...gazes off, pretends like there's nobody there. He rarely talks, he rarely sleeps...I haven't had some intimate time with him ever since...so you might as well count him gone, too...and _I_ have a child to raise...least you have Cynder, Dash, and Zinnia."

"Cynder and Spyro have fallen under some troubling times...basically have unofficially separated."

"That's sad...but at least you still have Dash...and Zinnia...you two love each other right?"

Alex chuckled, "Once upon a time I crushed on her...she didn't return the feeling."

"Really...coulda fooled me."

"The closest we ever got to any sort of relationship is the night before we separated back then...she claimed my virginity."

"Wait...really?"

"Yeah."

"I did not know that..."

"How so? Thought Martaanean dragons see auras?"

"We do...then again, I guess yours and Zinnia's auras are practically the exact same shade of red," the she-dragon landed just in front of Club Camelot, "Everything will be okay, don't worry, hon..." and once Alex had disembarked, Cherub flew off, vanishing in a flash of light. For several moments, Alex stood there in the middle of the street, still coming to terms with what had happened between him and Sarah.

Finally snapping out of his trance, he began to walk towards Club Camelot, only to be called down from behind, "Hey...do you have a moment?"

Alex turned to face Zinnia, pulling her car up alongside the road, "I guess..."

She nodded towards him, "Come on in," and she reached across the vehicle, opening the passenger's side door for him. While Zinnia drove across the residential district, heading to her house on the outskirts, she said, "I heard about Sarah...I'm sorry."

"I don't want to talk about it," he replied.

Silence for several moments, "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine..." he replied, "I just...need some time to chew this over...and I need to see Ruby."

The girl nodded, "Well..I'm off for the rest of the day so...how about we stop by my place, get something to eat, and I'll drive you down to Helena?"

"It'll take awhile won't it?"

"I've got nowhere to be, nothing to do...do you?"

"No...I guess not..."

"There we go then."

A few minutes later, the girl pulled into the driveway of her two-story apartment, climbing out and heading across to open the door for him. He followed her out, across the small, manicured lawn, reeking of freshly cut grass, and to the slab of concrete beside the front door. Somewhere the Commander could hear the sound of a lawnmower, and he was grimy amused by the realization that Zinnia just lived up he street from where Terrias and Aria's old owner used to live. She finally got the door unlocked, walking inside and getting comfortable, beckoning the Commander to join her. The apartment itself was small, smelling strongly of vanilla, and was very modern in design.

"Go ahead and have a seat, make yourself comfortable, I'll go check the roast," and she vanished into the kitchen. The Commander took a seat on the white leather couch in front of the window, fiddling the wedding ring he had given to Sarah, which she had slipped into the palm of his hand shortly before he had left.

"Everything falls apart..." he frowned, "I fucked up..." and he closed his eyes, grimacing as memory of his various lovers during his time with Sarah flashed before his eyes, "I fucked up big time..."

Zinnia soon returned from the kitchen, handing him a bowl of freshly stewed pot roast, mixed with potatoes, carrots, and celery. She sat down beside him, asking, "So...how are you doing?"

He smiled grimly, "Besides the fact that I fucked up royally...I guess our relationship was doomed from the start."

"How so?"

"Because at the same time as I was with Sarah...I was sleeping around with Cynder, Dash, _and_ Ruby...even though I knew that it made her uncomfortable."

"Well...you did make a mistake there...may I suggest next time you remain loyal to a single woman, regardless of species. Don't force her to share you with an entourage of other women."

"If there is a next time..."

"You say that as if there won't be."

"I'm a screw-up," Alex growled, "The last thing I want to do is get tethered to another long-term relationship that will only fail. Besides, I doubt there are very many girls out there who'd be willing to accept me with knowledge of my zoophilic tendencies...even if I _did_ stop."

"If someone truly loves you, they will love you regardless of your flaws...isn't that what we agreed upon all those years ago?"

"No...in fact, if I remember correctly, what we agreed upon was a one night stand, no strings attached, to see if people like us were capable of coupling up...something we proved."

"Perhaps...but you must admit, there was some chemistry between us back then, long before we ever slipped away."

"I guess..." Alex sighed, "I just...kinda feel lonely, y'know? Didn't realize just how good I had it until I didn't have it anymore...I took advantage of her and I feel like absolute shit. Nobody's gonna trust me after that..."

"You don't know that...there's someone out there for everyone, something I didn't believe at first either...but I was later proven wrong."

"Everything has changed, everybody I've known has changed..."

"People change, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse...something everyone undergoes."

"Have you changed?"

She chuckled, "Of course...but I want to believe that I've changed for the better..." she then hugged him, "I'm here for you. If you ever need anything, anything at all, I'm just a phone call away."

"Will you leave this time?"

"I have no plan to," she smiled, "I made a mistake...should have taken you on your offer. It won't happen again...anyway," and she took his empty bowl, returning to the kitchen and calling back, "Are you ready to go?"

A few hours later, Alex and Zinnia stood outside of the old asylum where Ruby was being kept. Together, they approached the wrought-iron gate, and after exchanging a few words with the guard there, were allowed entry into the compound beyond. The yard was full of patients of all ages, enjoying the recess period, although as Alex passed by, all eyes went to him and his female companion. Stepping inside the lobby, they walked to the reception counter and Alex asked, "We're here to see Ruby..."

"Vaughn," Zinnia replied, winking towards the Commander.

"Ruby Vaughn?" the female receptionist asked.

Both visitors nodded.

"All right, if you'll have a seat, I'll send a message to her doctor."

"Thank you," the Commander replied, taking a seat against the wall, looking out the adjacent window to the playground just outside. Zinnia gently placed her hand over his, clutching it tightly, and he responded by closing his.

It took about twenty minutes before a tall, male doctor passed through the gate blocking the lobby off from the rest of the facility and called to the duo, "You here to see Miss Vaughn?"

Both Alex and Zinnia nodded.

"Come with me then," he held the gate open, allowing the two passage into the rest of the building, "Right this way," and he guided them down a hall to the right.

"How is she?" Alex asked, voice timid and surprisingly childlike.

The doctor sighed, "Unfortunately...not very well. We've diagnosed her with schizophrenia, dissociative identity disorder, bipolar disorder, and neurosis. Although we originally allowed her to socialize with others, a few days ago she had a violent outburst, and she's been under heavy sedation and isolation since. She's been heavily delirious and almost completely unresponsive once we removed her from her binds three days ago...she has no concept of fantasy or reality, and no way to tell one apart from the other in the little conversation we _have_ managed to coax from her."

"What happened?" Alex asked, "What triggered the breakdown?"

"We're not really sure," the doctor replied, "She kept screaming for someone named Alex, and shortly after that...well if you've been following the news..."

The Commander's heart sank, and he felt Zinnia grab his hand.

They finally reached the door to her room...a heavy, steel beast with only a small window slot to peer in and out of, and a slot on the bottom to send food through. "Unfortunately, I can't let you inside...I hope you understand, but she is incredibly dangerous."

Zinnia nodded ahead and Alex reluctantly stepped up to the door, peering through the open slot and into the room beyond. It was small, with only a single, simple bed placed against the wall directly across from the door, and an unflushed toilet on the right wall. Ruby herself sat with her knees against her chest on the foot of the bed, leaning against the side of the window and peering out. Her hair was stringy and uncombed, her warm blue eyes were wild and distant, and she muttered something repeatedly beneath her breath. Her body twitched uncontrollably, as if she was cold, and her gown was in complete disarray and appeared to have been soiled.

Alarmed by her appearance, Alex asked, "When was she bathed last?"

The doctor shrugged apologetically, "She's too dangerous to take out of the room, even for a few minutes."

Finally gathering the courage, Alex called out, "Ruby...? Are you with us?"

She stiffened, head snapping to face them. Upon seeing her, the Commander felt his heart sink even further, and she began to panic, eyes wide and terrified. She curled into a ball, "No...go away..."

"Ruby..."

"Go away...go away! You're not real...go away..."

"Ruby, it's me, Alex..."

"GO _AWAY_!" she howled, "You're not real! Go away!"

"Ruby, it _is_ me..." Alex replied, frightened, "Don't you remember me?"

"You're dead! You're dead...I saw you die...you're not real..." and she rocked herself on the bed, facing the wall, hysterically sobbing.

Alex attempted to get through to her several more times before Zinnia placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, tenderly pulling him away. The doctor apologized once again, "As I said...she's completely out of it..."

"Will she snap out of it?" Alex asked, saddened.

The doctor shrugged, "It's hard telling...generally someone this far gone will rarely return to their senses, and if they do, it's only temporary before they collapse into another delusion."

Heartbroken, Alex looked towards Ruby one final time, still sobbing loudly, facing the wall. With a sigh and struggling to contain his _own_ emotions, he allowed the doctor to escort them back to the entrance.


	4. Chapter III: Capital Punishment

_**Chapter III**_ **:**

 **-''Capital Punishment''-**

 **-Helena, Montana-**

 **- _05 June 2015_ -**

 **- _1319 Hours_ -**

Alex stepped out of the mental hospital, sitting down on the steps and burying his head in his hands. Zinnia took a seat beside him, half-hugging the Commander. "Are you okay?" she asked him.

Alex said nothing, only shook his head.

"I'm sorry..."

"What the _fuck_ did they do to her?" Alex snarled, "They will pay for this!"

"It's not their fault..."

"No, it's Spyro's and Piermont's."

"It's not their faults either..."

"Bullshit!"

"Why would they do such a thing to her?"

"Because...even _Sapphire_ said they abused her..."

"I don't think it's as bad as you think..."

"They will pay for this..."

"Alex..."

"Did you see what happened to her!?"

"Yes I did...but I don't think we could have done that..."

"Then how else could that have happened, huh!?"

The flapping of wings interrupted them, and Alex stood as Spyro and Cynder arrived on scene, "There you are!" Cynder exclaimed, "You took off without telling anyone where you were...we thought something had happened again."

As soon as his eyes fell upon Spyro, Alex instantly felt his wrath began to boil, and before anyone even realized what was happening, Alex had pulled out his pistol, firing a shot into the purple dragon's leg. He instantly went down and the Commander was soon upon him, holding the gun to his head, "You _BASTARD!_ "

Cynder cried out, running to the dragon's side, and Zinnia rushed up to the Commander to intercept. "What are you _doing_!?" the she-dragon howled.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!?" Alex roared, breaking free of Zinnia's restraining grasp and standing over the dragon, holding him at gunpoint.

"What the...hell are you...talking about?" Spyro managed in between gasps of breath, clutching his leg.

"You heard me..." the Commander said in a cold, homicidal tone, "What did you do to Ruby you son of a bitch!"

"What did I...? What the _hell_ are you talking about, man!? I didn't do anything!"

Alex forced Spyro back into the asylum, dropping the dragon onto the floor in front of Ruby's cell and ordering for the beast to peer in. Upon doing so, the purple dragon's heart sank, and he collapsed to the floor in dawning realization. "What did you do to her?" the Commander repeated, snarling.

"I swear, Alex...I didn't do this...she wasn't like this when we put her in there...something happened since she got here."

"Why would you do that _anyway_!?"

"You don't understand," Spyro replied grimly, "Yes, there's probably better ways we could have dealt with this but...your girlfriend was suicidal, man...she tried several times to kill herself after you disappeared, damn near succeeded once and probably _would_ have had not we got to her just in time...she overdosed on your P.T.S.D pills. We tried dealing with her but...the burden became too great, we couldn't juggle babysitting her _and_ taking on the Reapers. I admit, we tried to abandon her here, and we probably could have been a little nicer and more patient with her but...you gotta believe me...we didn't do this to her. Something else happened."

"It's not his fault..." Cynder said defensively, "We're being completely honest with you...she wasn't like this when we brought her here."

"Sapphire said you abused her."

Both of the dragons exchanged awkward glances before Cynder sighed, admitting, "We didn't lay a finger on her...emotionally however..." her voice trailed and she fell silent briefly before continuing, voice strengthening, "We were kinda cruel to her...the High Command was anyway. I was at first...but then I realized what I was doing...Spyro and Piermont, however..."

The purple dragon glared accusingly at her, mentally singling her out, _Are you_ really _throwing me under the bus?_

 _He needs to know,_ Cynder replied.

 _No he doesn't!_

 _He's gonna find out eventually, you know that! Best we_ tell _him instead of him finding out on his own._

Spyro begrudgingly accepted and fell silent once more, looking at his feet.

"What did they do to her?" Alex growled, barely containing his temper.

Cynder glanced towards her dragonian mate, _Should you tell him or should I?_

 _You're throwing_ me _under the bus anyway, so be my_ fucking _guest._

"They mostly just emphasized how unwanted and hated she was...Piermont even suggested a few times that it was best if she just killed herself and save everyone the trouble, he was _really_ the one that sent her over the edge I think.

 _Damn you_ , Spyro thought bitterly towards her, hurt and guilt heavy in his telepathic tone. Cynder felt her own heart sink, odds are she had only succeeded in further damaging her relationship with the purple dragon by this admission...possibly even beyond repair...but it had to be said. One way or the other, Alex _would_ find out, and she only hoped that, after the initial embarrassment passed, Spyro would come to his senses and realize that they had just dodged a very deadly bullet by telling the truth.

Cynder offered to help Spyro head back outside, but the purple dragon only snarled towards her, growling, "You've done enough!" before slowly standing and limping back towards the building's entrance.

Wearing a look of pained defeat, the she-dragon turned to face the betrayed Alex, whispering, "I'm sorry..." before unhappily walking back.

As soon as they had vanished around a corner, the voice of the Commander's old friend, a man named Zack, surfaced within the young man's mind, saying, _You didn't kill them?_

Alex, blood running cold, turned to see Zack as he looked back during his time in _Devha_ , leaning against the wall and picking his teeth with a toothpick. "Zack?" the Commander asked, voice a whisper.

"I'm surprised, _Ali_ , I thought you'd actually kill them...or at least your second-in-command, the bull dragon...you seemed ready to."

"I guess we all make mistakes, huh?"

"Perhaps...you're growing soft it seems. Once upon a time, you would kill someone the very second they betrayed you without a moment's notice...like what happened to Jazz...like what happened to _me,_ " he grinned darkly, "Hell, even when you were the reaper Messorem...you just left your own son there to die on the battlefield after his betrayal. 'Course, then ol' Lucifer found him, turned him to the Dark Side of the Force, and before you knew it, you had to kick your own son's ass down into the mouth of Hell.

"I gave you plenty of time to turn around," Alex replied grimly, "But you were too far gone to be saved. I tried my best, Zack."

"Did you? Did you, _really_?"

"There were plenty of times I could have ended it right then and there...but I gave you a chance to redeem yourself, it's not _my_ fault you chose not to accept it," and the Commander blinked, only to find the fifteen year old boy gone.

"Who are you talking to?" Zinnia suddenly asked, approaching the Commander again.

He shook his head, "Nobody..." then added, "I need to get out of this madhouse...insanity is contagious."

Now outside, Alex once more took a seat on the steps of the side entrance, up against the platform upon which a mossy stone gargoyle sat. Across from him, in the shade of a tree at the edge of the yard, up against the fence, Cynder was gently cleaning and treating her dragonian mate's wound.

"So," Zinnia began, "I talked to the doctors...to see about Ruby's condition..."

"And?"

"The situation is much worse than we realized. It seems that, with the collapse of the government and prison system, she's being held on death row here...though they couldn't tell me anything else on her intended execution date or method of execution."

"Think I heard about the death row sentence but...Jesus..." and Alex rubbed his temples again, "Is there anything we can do?"

The girl shrugged, "That's what I asked...but it's not up to them. We have to go through the actual Montana government...and I doubt they'll be too keen on letting a delusional, homicidal girl run on the streets again...especially in a militia, where she'll be armed to the teeth."

"And things only continue to collapse...first Cyn, then Sarah, and now Ruby..."

"Hey...cheer up! Things could be worse!"

Alex smiled sadly, "Seems we finally solve one problem, then we turn around and find ourselves in more deeper shit than we were before. The LKA, then the _Maxia_ , the _Caeda_ , then Zack, the Reapers, and now this?" he smirked, "Hell, I think the _Maxia_ was the worst in my own personal experience, since I was out of it for the Reapers and I had grown...numb...to Zack after realizing what the hell was happening."

"The _Maxia_? I heard about Zack...who is the _Maxia_...and the _Caeda_?"

"The last U.S President was a total asshole...declared war on us, militarized a little cult called the _Maxian_ Brotherhood and cordoned off a chunk of the United States Armed Forces to compose his private army, the _Maxia_ Regime. _Maxia_ was roughly divided into three eras: General Mason-who wasn't _too_ bad in retrospect, he also led the _Caeda_ which was synonymous to the _Maxia_ as Alpha Company was to the Terminator Militia-, the 'Shade King', which was..."

"I know about the 'Shade King'...Spyro won't stop bringing up the subject with Jazz."

"Right...and last but not least, the Tartarus Unit and General 'Necro'...Tartarus Unit was pretty pathetic, but unpredictable. 'Necro'...he was one _hell_ of a challenge...still don't quite know how we beat him..." and as the Commander said this, he was aware of an eerie, ghostly wail, like that of a hysterically screaming woman.

A telepathic voice assailed his mind again, this one female, and it screamed, _YOU!_ You _killed him!_

Before he even had a chance to react, there was an explosion of heat, wind, and razor-sharp debris on his back and he was thrown forward, down the stairs and to the ground. Dazed, ears ringing, he slowly rolled onto his back, eyes widening at what he saw. The gargoyle he had been leaning up against was now standing upright, facing him. As it moved and breathed, pieces of stone and debris rained from its cracking and breaking body, exposing smooth marble beneath. The ares around the beast's joins had shattered completely, exposing patches of rich, dark brown fur. The beast craned its neck, howling a pained, mournful roar into the sky before leaping off of its pedestal, racing towards him on all fours.

"What the actual _hell_!?" Alex managed, backpedaling away. Cynder was instantly on the wing, charging towards the beast and spewing fire towards it. The flames did absolutely nothing, and she eventually landed beside the astonished Spyro again. Zinnia, too, was only staring dumbfounded towards the living statue, while Alex, his back against the wall, collapsed to the ground, jaw dropped and eyes widened.

"How _DARE_ you!" the statue howled in a strongly female, although somewhat childlike voice. It...she...tackled him then, pinning him to the ground and roaring into his face, "How could you? Why would you? You monster! You _MURDERER!_ "

"Lucy! Stand down!" a voice suddenly hissed from behind the statue, and before Alex could even registered what was going on, several muddy tentacles emerged from the puddles of still rainwater around the Commander, wrapping themselves around the statue's limbs and forcing it to the ground.

Just as the creature collapsed to the ground, struggling against the tentacles restraining it in place, Alex was both frightened and relieved to see Ruby standing on the stairs, glowing a faint blue. Behind her, the door had been blocked off with a massive block of ice, and the Commander could just make out doctors on the other side, trying to break through.

"Ruby!" Lucy replied in a terrified, betrayed tone, "Why? Why would you do this? This man, he murdered my friend! He murdered 'Necro'!"

"This man is my _mate_ ," the dolphin replied, "Don't hurt him!"

"What? _This_ is Alex? I thought you said he was dead!"

"He is..." Ruby began coldly, and just as Alex had picked himself up, Ruby summoned more tentacles from the surrounding puddles, these wrapping around the Commander's ankles and pulling him to the ground, dragging him across the yard and closer to where the human-form dolphin stood. When he finally slid to a stop and the maddened girl approached him, several more tentacles crawled out of the ground, their tips slithering across Alex's face and an ethereal, snakelike hiss before positioning themselves mere inches away from his eyes and mouth, ready to stab forward and kill him.

Several doctors rounded a corner from the front of the building, charging towards the group. Without even flinching, Ruby summoned a wall of water from the ground between them and her, freezing it with a slight exhale before she turned to face the group again.

"Tell me..." she began, approaching the young man, "Who are you? Are you just another hallucination? Another figment of my imagination!"

"Ruby..." Alex managed, gulping at the proximity of the watery tentacles to his face, "It's me, Alex!"

"Alex is dead!" she hissed, "I watched him die!"

"No..." the Commander shook his head abruptly, "I...I'm not dead. After I fell, the Reapers...they found me, they captured me...and over the space of a week they tortured me until I couldn't resist no more and they broke me. I became their proxy, the Reaper general Thanatos...but I'm free now, and I'm here, I'm alive...it's me Ruby!"

"I don't believe you," she spat coldly, and the snakelike tentacle hissed in response.

"It is me!" he exclaimed, "I don't care what you need to do but...do whatever it takes to prove it. I'm here, Ruby, and I'm sorry for leaving you. The Reapers...after they broke me, they forcefully disconnected me from the mind bank, that's why you guys couldn't sense me!"

"You're not real..." Ruby replied, her voice now hoarse and cracking, and Alex looked around the tentacles to see the girl on the verge of hysterical tears, "You can't be..."

"It's me..." he replied, "I can prove it if you just tell me what you want me to do!"

"Ruby..." the statue, Lucy, suddenly said, "He is real."

"And how do I know that _you_ are!?"

Lucy fell silent, looking towards the ground in defeat.

Suddenly, the wall of ice behind the dolphin cracked and shattered, a riot squad rushed through, tackling the dolphin and pinning her to the ground, restraining her once again. Instantly the restraining tentacles on both Lucy and Alex disintegrated and the two hurried to their feet, running over to aide Ruby. The riot squad pulled back in horror at the sight of the living gargoyle, concentrating their attacks towards it, temporarily forgetting Ruby and the human-form dolphin's eyes widened with realization at their reactions.

She started as an open hand appeared before her head, and reluctantly, she accepted Alex's invitation to help her to her feet. For a few moments, the two only stood in place, locking eyes: Alex's full of sadness and longing, Ruby's clearing and full of disbelief and hurt. "Is...it _really_ you?" she asked him.

He didn't say anything, only wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, burying his head into her shoulder.

"Tell me this isn't another fantasy..."

"It's me, Ruby...I missed you."

Finally, she shuddered against him, whining unhappily, and when he broke the embrace, he shielded his eyes as, in a flash of heat and light, she returned to her natural form. She quickly examined herself...she hadn't eaten in days, meaning she hadn't been receiving the serum forcing her and binding her to a human form. Once more, her eyes flashed to face Alex, who only smiled towards her, petting her head, "I love you."

She smiled towards him, hugging _him_ and kissing him repeatedly, "Oh God...it _is_ you...!"

He reached around, scratching her favorite spot...the base of her dorsal fin. She squeaked in satisfaction, shuddering against him, her body warming considerably and the red blush of sexual excitement spread like a fire across her belly. "I'm so sorry...I'm sorry for leaving you Ruby, I just..."

He was interrupted by another kiss from the dolphin, "After you fell, I thought I..."

"Don't worry," he said with a smile.

"I...I'm sorry," she said, "I did some really stupid stuff...I got myself into this mess and I...I let you down, I failed you. I'm a disappointment _and_ a bad mate..."

"You're none of those things, Ruby..." Alex smiled, "And you didn't fail me...you _never_ fail me...you're one of the few people who _could_ never do so."

"Do you forgive me? For all of the stupid stuff I did."

"Of course I do...I love you."

"I love you, too," and they embraced once again.

"GO!" someone called out from behind Ruby, and before either one knew what was going on, the dolphin had been pulled away from the Commander and thrown to the ground with a pained squeak.

"Hey!" Alex roared, "What the hell are you doing!?"

But the heavily armored men, who had _finally_ managed to restrain Lucy, only shoved Alex back, ordering him to stay away.

"Leave her alone!" he snarled, "Let her go this instant!" and he tried to fight his way back to the creature. Cynder and Zinnia were soon there, once more restraining him and holding him back as the riot squad bound Ruby and carried her off...but not to the hospital.

"Where are you taking her!?" Lucy screeched, struggling the ropes tied around her body, against several trees and fence pieces.

"She's too dangerous to be kept here," one of the men replied, "We're taking her to the last functional prison in the area."

"What the hell are you gonna do to her!?" Alex roared, still fighting against Zinnia and Cynder.

"We've already cleared with General Heinrich to get a firing squad here tomorrow. We're going to put this suffering beast down."

" _WHAT!?_ " Alex exclaimed, "Like hell you are!"

"Take it up with the governor," the man replied, and within minutes, they had left, having taken Ruby with them.

Finally, the Commander was released, and he viciously turned to face the rest of his companions, "Who the _fuck_ is General Heinrich!?"

"He's Elliot's successor," Spyro replied, "Since Elliot is dying from cancer and is unable to command anymore."

"What the hell have I missed..."

"A lot," Cynder replied.

With a snarl, Alex ordered to them, "Get me back to New Alexandria, I wanna have a chat with this guy."

"What are we gonna do about Lucy?" Cynder asked, nodding towards the gargoyle, who had stopped fighting and accepted her defeat.

"Take her with us."

"...Despite the fact she just tried to kill you?"

Alex stormed into the command center, finding the rest of Alpha Company standing around, talking to the man that the Commander could only presume was General Heinrich. Erik Heinrich was a tall, well-built man with hazel, almond eyes, about late forties to early fifties, with dark brown hair and a Dutch beard to match, wearing a navy blue uniform, "Are you Heinrich?" the Commander hissed.

"What do you want?" the man replied in a gruff tone.

"You cleared a firing squad to execute Ruby, call them off! Now!"

"Ruby? Not aware of the name, boy."

"Don't bullshit with me you asshole!" Alex roared, "Call them up and tell them that the operation is off!"

"Afraid I can't do that, it's outta my hands."

"This is an order! _I'm_ the commander of this entire fucking militia! CALL THEM _OFF!_ "

He grinned, "Unfortunately, if you want to prevent the execution, you're gonna have to talk to someone in charge of the prison system...like I said, it's outta my hands."

Alex spent the day trying to contact someone in the capital, attempting to call off the execution scheduled to occur the next morning. Despite this, however, he was told that the governor was out and wouldn't be back _until_ the following morning. He managed to schedule an appointment less than two hours before the scheduled execution, and he only hoped that he could negotiate a deal before time ran out. The clock was ticking, and there was currently nothing he could do about it, much to his dismay.

"You doing okay?" Terrias asked him, the Commander had closed himself off in his room, drowning out the world to the tunes of Mozart. The servine had let himself in the room, taking a seat at the end of Alex's bed.

"Well enough," the young man replied, "I'm just..."

"You're worried about Ruby?" Terrias interrupted.

Reluctantly, Alex nodded, "Yeah, I am...Terrias, they're going to kill her tomorrow...and unless I can find someway to get her out of there...she's a goner."

A somber look overcame the servine's face, and he nodded towards Alex, "Ares and Thanatos still numbers one and two respectively on the FBI's Most Wanted list?"

"Think so, why?"

"Maybe we can trade _our_ freedom for hers...would you be willing to do that?"

"Of course...but I'm not sure it'd work...they want us _both_ , not just me."

"Then they can get us both."

"What?" and Alex seemed genuinely surprised, "You would trade your own freedom for her?"

He nodded, "Yes I would."

"Why?"

"Because you care about her a lot, and I care about you...as far as a straight guy can, of course," he grinned widely, "Unless you _want_ to get a little intimate, then I might consider having a little bit of fun. Besides," he chuckled, "You'd get ripped to shreds the moment you stepped foot in prison thanks to your rep...you need somebody tougher than you to keep you safe."

With a grin, Alex sat up, half-hugging his friend, "Shit, man...don't I owe you enough already?"

"Agree to be my prison wife and you'll have repaid in full."

"You dick..."

"Oh, you'll like my dick: double trouble, baby...although I hope you do know the purpose of a cloaca."

"Yeah, yeah, fuckin' reptiles."

"Thought that was one of your favorite past times?"

"Did you really just-?"

"Well it's true, isn't it?"

Early the next morning, just as the sun was about to rise, Alex and Terrias flew on Spyro and Cynder's backs towards Helena: the servine on Spyro, the Commander on his dragonian mate. They were dropped off just outside of the capitol building and while the dragons waited outside, the duo quickly stormed into the building, Alex demanding to see the governor immediately.

After some harsh explanation, they were finally allowed in, and upon entering the spacious office, they found the man himself, by the name of Earl Hathaway, sitting at his chair, typing at a computer. "Governor Hathaway, sir," the Commander began, "We need to talk."

"And who might you be exactly, son?" the man replied in a rough voice, he was of mid-sixties, short and balding, with ghostly white hair, squinted, blue eyes and wearing a short goatee.

"Name's Alex Vaughn," the young man replied, "We have an urgent situation that we need to discuss, and we only have a couple of hours to do so."

"What's going on?"

"It's about one of your prisoners, one Ruby Vaughn."

"Ah..." the man straightened in his chair, "You're the one that called us about the dolphin yesterday?"

Alex nodded firmly, "In less than two hours, she's gonna be executed, I'm her to stop it."

"What do you expect me to do? No one in my office can do anything about it, there's others you need to convince about it. Unfortunately, so close to the time, odds are you're out of luck.

Alex snarled, and Terrias added, "What if we propose a trade."

"I can't be bribed, so don't even bother."

"No, you'll _really_ like this...and Terrias stiffened, "We were Ares and Thanatos during the Reaper uprising...if we turn ourselves in, will you set her free?"

"Or I could just arrest you here."

"And we'll kill you and everyone else in this damned building," Alex hissed, "We'll go without resistance, but _only_ if you call off the execution."

Terrias then chimed in, "I'm sure it would look _really_ good on your political career if you managed to capture and bring in the Reaper generals Ares and Thanatos to the feds, don't you agree?"

With a sigh, he said, "Fine...phone lines are still sketchy, so I'll send you a letter that you can deliver to Treasure State Penitentiary...that's where she's being kept, although I advise you keep close watch on her this time. I'll see you here in a month's time."

"C'mon..." Terrias began, "Give us a year at least?"

"Three months," the governor replied.

"Nine months," Alex responded.

"I'll give you six, but that's it."

"You might at well round it off and let us enjoy the New Year and Christmas with our loved ones."

"Fine then...I want you in court on the fifth of January, 2016, is that fair?"

Both Terrias and Alex exchanged glances before nodding reluctantly.

"Very well..." and he quickly typed out a note on the computer, printing it out and handing it to them, "Take this to the warden, and I will see _you_ two real soon."

Alex nodded, and sending the servine a pained glance, the two quickly turned around and raced out of the building, finding the two dragons sitting on the steps, Spyro checking on his healing wound. The duo quickly climbed onto the dragons' backs, Terrias calling, "All right, we need to hightail it to the prison at the edge of town, ASAP. We have an execution to stop."

"You got through to him?" Cynder replied with relief.

"Yes," Alex responded, "But we're not out of the fire just yet. Let's move!"

Ruby was slowly led across the eerily empty prison, left almost entirely vacant and badly damaged by the Harvest, from her private cell, taken outside into the courtyard, and tied to a wooden pole. Ever since leaving her cell, she had a cloth draped over her head, obscuring her view of her executioners. Once she was tied and bound in place, having reluctantly accepted her fate, the ten grunts who were going commit the act arrived, each taking one ceremonial rifle and stepping out onto the field, approximately twenty yards from where the dolphin was bound. Here, she was told of the murders she had committed at the hospital following her nervous breakdown after realizing that the hallucination she had been experiencing of Alex was just that, and a final prayer was offered to her.

Alex, Terrias, Spyro, and Cynder soon arrived at the prison, the former two quickly leaping off their mounts and rushing into the main facility, Spyro and Cynder in tow. They burst into the building, Alex calling to the guards, "Where's the warden? I have a letter here from the governor on the execution this morning."

"He's in his office," one of the guards replied, "What's this about?"

"Alex," Cynder said, "We'll get that letter to the guy, you and Terrias go find Ruby!"

"Where are they?" the servine asked.

"They're...in the courtyard, but you can't go out there..." the guard replied, although he was ignored as the duo raced off through the prison halls, trying to find a way down to the courtyard.

Pausing on the second floor hallway, Terrias peered outside into the courtyard, spying the riflemen already line up and preparing to shoot. "Alex! We're running out of time!" he called out.

Finally spying the double doors at the end of the hall heading out, Alex sprinted as fast as he could, throwing them open and rocketing out into the courtyard, "Wait! Hold up! Hold up!" he exclaimed.

Terrias soon appeared beside the Commander out of breath, adding, "We've received word from the governor...call it off. We'll have the warden here shortly to confirm," and he collapsed onto the ground, sitting up against one of the arcade's brick support columns, trying to catch his breath. After several minutes, the warden finally stepped outside, approaching the executioners. With the exchange of a few quiet words, the riflemen relaxed, and speaking with the two guards accompanying the execution, he finally returned inside, never even sparing a glance towards Alex and Terrias.

Shortly after he disappeared, Spyro and Cynder emerged from within the prison, Cynder asking, "Did we make it on time?"

Ruby was soon cut loose by the two guards, and once they pulled off the cloth over her head, shoving the dolphin forward towards the door back into the rest of the facility, she took a few uneasy steps forward, walking upright on her tail flukes. When her eyes fell upon Alex, who had stood and was waiting for her in the shadows of the arcade, she was instantly upon him, tackling him to the ground and covering him with kisses, "You came for me!" she squeaked happily, "I'm so sorry, Alex! I'm so, so sorry..."

"Don't worry, Ruby," the Commander chuckled, hugging his delphinic mate, who elicited a satisfied squeak of elation, "Everything's fine...everything's all right."

After several moments of silence, just enjoying each others' presence, Ruby then broke the embrace, tentatively asking, "Alex...when we get back to New Alexandria...is there any way we can have some privacy together? I need your touch...it's been so long..."

"We'll see what we can do, okay?" and he kissed her again, "I'm just glad you're safe..."

"I'm glad you're back...I missed you so, so much...Please, don't ever leave me again...without you I'm nothing...I need you..."

"I need you, too, Ruby...and I won't, I promise."


	5. Chapter IV: Your Possible Pasts

_**Chapter IV**_ **:**

 **-''Your Possible Pasts''-**

 **-New Alexandria, Montana-**

 **- _06 June 2015_ -**

 **- _1219 Hours_ -**

Alex and Ruby lay together in a post-coital embrace, the dolphin emitting a squeaky sigh in satisfaction, curling up even tighter against her mate. "You don't know how much I've missed this feeling..." she said, "I'm so glad to have you back, Alex..."

"I'm glad you're happy," the Commander chuckled, kissing her head, "I love you."

"I love you, too..." then, "I'm sorry about your _fiance_..."

Alex's smile instantly disintegrated, and he said, "I don't want to talk about that..."

"Sorry..." the dolphin replied, nuzzling her mate's chest, "Now, we can be happy again...Alex and Ruby...the perfect couple..." and she giggled lightly, turning to face him, "Tell me, Alex...do you ever wish that _we_ could marry?"

"I've thought about it a few times..." he responded, adding, "But it's really nothing more than a title...there's nothing that would change from what we're doing now. Couples carry each other through life together, love each other deeply, have sex, and raise a family...the exact same thing we're doing now, without all the extra baggage like marital expenses, thousand dollar rings, grandiose ceremonies, and the feds fucking us in the ass..." then, "Have _you_ ever thought about it?"

She nodded, admitting, "Even if it is just a silly symbol...there's something about it that just feels...gratifying. Yes things might not change but...just to be able to call you my _husband_ , and for you to call me your _wife_...there's just something about that I really desire..."

"If you want me to call you my wife I can do that anyway," Alex chuckled, grin returning.

"Yes...but it isn't the same unless we were officially recognized as such..."

"We might as well be."

"But we're not...maybe it's the little piece of Vitam deep down inside that's speaking for me...wanting to renew her vows to her dearly beloved...you know, sometimes I wish I wasn't a stupid dolphin...sometimes I wish I _was_ a human...if anything so we could be more accepted for who we are...and we could have all the human perks."

"You really want to marry me...don't you?"

She nodded hesitantly, "Silly and immature I know but..." and Alex silenced her by gently scratching the base of her dorsal fin, she whistled faintly in pleasure.

"How about this...I'll see if there's a way I can jump through some legal loops...surely there's _someone, somewhere_ out there that'll wed a human and an animal..." he kissed her, "If anything...just for you."

"There's...one other thing, too..." she added, "Another reason why I would love to be human."

"What is that?"

She nuzzled him again, burying her head in his chest, listening to his heartbeat,"I want children...I want to bear _your_ children...and as long as genetics work against us...it'll never be."

"Unfortunately, that's not something I _can_ fix...but if you want children, tell Sapphire. I'm sure he'd be more than willing to get you pregnant...he's a healthy, fertile, virile dolphin bull."

"That's just it...I don't want just _anyone's_ children...I want _yours_."

"I'm not _that_ special, Ruby...nor am I the pride of the gene pool in any sense of the concept."

"You're special to me..." she replied, smile dissolving into a frown, "And I want to carry the pride knowing that the children I bear are from _your_ seed...eggs that _you_ fertilized. I don't love Sapphire like I love you. He's a good friend, and I do love him as such...and yes I do enjoy mating with him on occasion, but still...he can't replace the love I feel for you, Alex. You're my special someone."

Alex couldn't help but to contain a grin at this statement, and he curled around her once again, gently stroking her warm, smooth side and belly, scratching around her navel. She squirmed beneath his arms, stilling once she she got comfortable and relaxed once again, "You know...you are the best thing to ever happen to me. I know I've said this before but...you are my world, without you I feel so...empty and alone...I'm sorry if I've let you down with my pathetic appearance."

"You aren't pathetic..." Alex replied, "You're just...special," and he hugged her tightly, "I wouldn't want it any other way."

"I'm here for you," she said, "If you need anything...I'm here for you...just like you're here for me. I promise, I'll try my best to be a better friend and a better lover. I've made some really silly mistakes in the past...but I want to prove that I can grow up, that I can mature."

"I think that at the end of the day, all _any_ of us can hope for is to become a better person than we were before."

"What about you?"

He pursed his lips, "There are a few things that I regret...I've made some stupid-ass mistakes in my lifetime...but haven't we all? That's a part of life..."

"Can I ask a personal question?"

"Sure."

"What exactly was the nature of your relationship with Zinnia? You two seem very close...though I've never heard you talk about her, and you've never said anything _about_ her. You've never addressed her when you shared your memories with me..."

Alex remained silent for a few moments before, with a sigh, admitting, his eyes gazing off longingly into the distance, "A long time ago...long before I ever met you...long before I even met Spyro or Cynder, actually...I was a stupid little fourteen year old boy on a mission to seek and destroy the stronghold of one of our big bad guys in the Regions."

"The LKA?"

Alex nodded, continuing, "Zinnia was...she was sixteen at the time, and was a high-ranking operative within their force...she was basically to the LKA that I was to the Tan Army. Our mission was to go under deep cover and infiltrate the compound, using Zinnia to find the location of the top secret base. During out journeys together...we became more friendly towards each other."

"You were lovers?"

Silence for several moments before the Commander slowly nodded, continuing, "She was...she liked animals...a lot."

"She was bestial..."

"I stumbled upon her one day, trying to mate with one. To try and ease her humiliation, I admitted that Piermont and I, when we were younger, had engaged in some...certain acts...and I admitted that I had an...interest...in some members of Alpha Company. She accepted me for this and we...we became very good friends, and she eventually decided to defect to the Terminators. The night before we were to go our separate ways, we were both up late and...we got to talking and...things just kinda escalated from there."

"You mated with her..."

"She claimed my virginity...as she said it was a 'one-night stand', a 'friends with benefits' sort of ordeal, just to see if 'animal lovers like us can have _normal_ relationships'. Truth is...I didn't _want_ it to be a fling...I really liked her and I wanted to forge something romantic between us...she was disinterested. It haunted me for quite some time after that, until the stress from the Second Civil War all but made me forget about her...I almost feel guilty."

"You know...she regrets leaving you."

"Really?"

Ruby nodded, "She told me once that she regrets leaving that day...that she wished she could go back in time and go with you instead of staying back...even now, in the way she looks at you...she still loves you...more than just friends. Maybe she can be your new _fiance_?" Ruby smiled sadly, "Just...please don't forget about me. I know you feel guilty, knowing that it was Cynder, Dash, and I that really ruined your relationship with Sarah...but I'm sure Zinnia would accept me at least...right?"

"The wound is still healing...it's still too early to seek out another partner," he chuckled sadly, "But maybe one day, huh?" and he hugged her even tighter, "I won't ever forget about you, lover. I would much rather spend eternity with _you_ than trade you for a monogamous relationship with another woman."

"R...Really?" Ruby emitted a surprised squeal.

He nodded, "Yes."

"Even though I'm just a stupid fish?"

Alex grinned, "You're not just a stupid fish..." he kissed the top of her head, "You're _my_ stupid fish, aren't you? My little gemstone..."

She smiled sheepishly, blushing and smacking him with her tail, although her body was noticeably warmer to the touch, and the Commander could just faintly make out a slight red blush to her belly. Alex cackled laughter, "Shit...you seriously ready for round two already, girl?"

"Shut up," she replied in a shy tone, "I can't help that my species has an insatiable drive."

"Well..." he gently stroked down her body, his light touch going ever further down her belly, "I'm still in recharge but...if you need relief, I'll be more than happy to help you."

She nodded vigorously, and in a small voice, said, "Yes, please..."

Alpha Company's Hornet emerged above Connorsville later that evening, Terrias in the cockpit calling out, "Feels damn good to be back in the saddle, must admit."

"Even if it's a bullshit patrol mission?" Alex smirked.

"Rog."

The Commander grinned, looking around the vehicle until his eyes fell upon Spyro and Cynder, curled in a corner together, the purple dragon glaring distrustfully towards the young man. As if noticing this, Alex was aware of Ruby taking a seat beside him, leaning against him and nuzzling his shoulder with her head.

"Bloody hell..." the servine began, peering outside, "Looks like we got storm clouds brewing."

"Keep low...don't wanna end up stuck in the fucking past again," the Commander responded.

Terrias chuckled grimly, "Amen, brother."

"Look on the bright side," Jazz began, having disassembled his assault rifle, cleaning its components, "Least _this_ time you won't have to worry about me."

"Roger that."

After several moments of silence, Alex nodded towards Piermont, who was staring off, dazed, outside the window, "Yo, Pierre...you all right? You haven't been saying much..."

The human-form dragon only grumbled. Alex attempted to pry into the dragon's mind...his self-imposed silence and isolation deeply alarmed the Commander. However, despite his sly prying, he uncovered nothing, and found that the dragon's mind was completely blank...what was wrong with him?

 _He's lost it, that's what happened,_ a dark voice chuckled, and Alex's blood ran cold as he turned to his left, seeing the teenage Zack sitting on the floor, leaning against the inside of the machine, "Your disconnection from the mind bank broke him, Ali."

The Commander squeezed his eyes shut, waiting until the presence disappeared before chancing to open them up again, seeing nobody there. Ruby, as if sensing his distress, whined uneasily and pressed herself tighter to his body, he answered by petting her head.

"Kinda miss Rocket..." Jazz suddenly spoke, attempting to break the silence, "Was just starting to like the bastard, too."

"Hopefully he'll come back," Rapid added, "At least, that's what _I'm_ hoping for."

"We'll see."

Suddenly, a flash of blinding light filled the machine from outside, and Terrias swore, "Shit...left engine's been hit...not responsive...gonna have to start bringing us down."

Another bolt of lightning struck the machine, instantly killing the engines and frying several sensors. For several moments, they fell freely through the air, and Terrias frantically tried to get the machine's controls to respond. Finally, the engines flickered to life once more, and the Hornet's occupants could clearly see rich black smoke pouring from the left turbine. "We're a fuckin' one-winged angel right now..." the servine spat, "Left engine's completely shot...hold on boys, I'm taking us down..." alarms blared throughout the machine and red emergency lights flashed on, "I know, I know..." the creature growled, "Piss off!" and he killed the alarms.

As they neared the ground below, Terrias roared to the rest of his comrades, "Hope you bastards are buckled up...we're in for a hard landing..."

"We're coming in _way_ too fast!" Alex replied, "Slow our descent!"

"What the hell do you think I'm trying to do, Alex!? If you think you can do it better than me by freakin' guest!"

"Try throttling the warp drive? Maybe we can lower our descent without picking up speed?"

"Already ahead of you on that, Commander..." he replied, and with several rapid activations of the Hornet's warp drive, they appeared closer and closer to the ground, roughly maintaining the same speed as they had before their initial drop. They would still impact with the ground, but hopefully not a spectacularly. Finally, after several minutes, they were thrown around the interior of the machine as it impacted with the ground, sliding across the mud and becoming half-buried.

Once everything settled, Alex asked, "Everyone all right?"

They climbed out of the machine, Terrias stumbling forward before collapsing to his knees, vomiting, "Let's...never do that again..."

Thunder rumbled and a faint rain drizzled down from the heavens above them, furthering advancing the already rapid nightfall. Alex turned to face the Hornet, it's nose almost entirely buried in a mound of dirt, leaving a trail of upturned ground and plants in its wake. The right turbine spun weakly in the wind, and the commander swore, "Well...that just happened."

"Now what?" Ruby asked, seemingly worried, "Are we stuck here?"

"Storm's keeping out comms," Jazz spat, "Wonderful..."

Alex first turned to face the distant Connorsville, barely visible on the horizon, before he nodded towards a nearby, two-story farmhouse, sitting in the middle of the countryside by itself, "C'mon...let's see if they're willing to help us."

As the Commander was about to knock on the door, it slowly opened and a familiar face to the young man greeted them from the other side, "Can I help you?" she asked.

At first, he couldn't recognize her, but after several moments, he finally identified her as Sabrina Ford, a very old friend of his, "Sabrina...?" Alex asked, in disbelief, "Is that you?"

Confused, the girl, tall and lanky, with hazel eyes and long, straightened brown hair, nodded slowly, "Do I know you?"

"It's me...Alex Vaughn."

She started, "Alex...?"

"Okay..." Terrias interrupted, "Who the fuck is this girl and how do you know her?"

"We were childhood friends..." the Commander replied, "Long time no see..."

"Why don't you come on in..." and she stepped out of the way, allowing the unit inside.

"Shit...how long has it been Sabrina?" the Commander asked, "Ten? Twelve years?"

"It's been a long time, that's for sure," she replied, "Last I heard, you had died."

"Well...it didn't necessarily go like that but...it's good seeing you again, nevertheless."

"What are you doing all the way out here?"

"We were on patrol," the Commander replied, "Our bird was hit by lightning, crashed outside."

"Still doing the soldiering thing?"

The Commander nodded, "Rog...how have you been doing?"

She shrugged, "Well, I'm a kindergarten teacher now, I work over at Thomas Jefferson Elementary."

Alex was aware of his comrades giving him puzzled glances, but he chose to ignore them, reassuring his companions that he would explain later.

"I almost didn't recognize you," Sabrina continued, "You look like you've had a rough few years."

"Things _have_ been rough since the war." 

"Probably doesn't help that the last time we saw each other was before your family moved north."

"Yeah...and that was back in 2005 so...it's been a few years," Alex walked around the living room, stopping in front of the fireplace and observing a photograph on the hearth, "Who's this guy?"

"My husband," she replied sheepishly, "I'm now Mrs. George Bailey."

"Where's he at?"

"Afghanistan," she replied, "Fighting terrorists."

Alex grinned, noticing how the clean cut man, wearing a toothy grin in the arms of his wife, wearing a full, black goatee, a Gadsden flag cap, camouflage slacks, a dark, olive green t-shirt and black sunglasses, bore a striking resemblance to the Commander himself. They could almost pass as brothers. "Army?" the Commander asked.

"Marines," Sabrina replied, "This is his third tour..." after silence fell throughout the room, she broke it again, asking, "So...I see a lot of new faces."

Alex introduced each member of his unit, ending with Ruby, whom, much to the dolphin's dismay, he only acknowledged as a 'close friend'. Once the introductions had been exchanged, Sabrina offered for the unit to spend the night their until they could get call someone the next day. The storm had wiped out communications, power, had downed phone lines, and still it raged outside, with winds in excess of seventy miles per hour, although no tornadoes seemed to have spawned yet. Eventually, once the storm had eased a bit, and with nothing else to do during the blackout, Alex decided to take a shower in the guest bathroom.

For several minutes, the Commander stood in the hot water, letting it roll down his shoulders and back. He leaned against the wall, sparing a glance towards his bionic arm, covered in fine, black leather, and with a disgusted smirk, he moved his fingers, barely hearing a mechanical drone with the movement. He heard the bathroom door quietly open, but paid no heed, lost in thought. At the front of it all was the acknowledgment of his rapidly diminishing time here...how long would he and Terrias be in prison before they could be released? Or would they be stuck there for life? The Commander hadn't told anyone about what he and the servine had to do in order to free Ruby and spare her from death, and he had a feeling that the servine himself had been equally quiet about the deal they had made. The shower curtains parted and Ruby joined him, casting him a worried glance, "Is everything okay?"

He nodded, "Good enough, I suppose...S.S.D.D..." and he stepped aside, allowing her into the water.

As he carefully and gently began to bathe her, she asked him, "That girl...when I was still No.1...I remember she was in your mind a lot."

"She's a very old friend," he replied, scratching the base of her dorsal fin, "We grew up together, went to school together, that sorta thing."

"Did you love her?"

He shrugged, "I had a bit of a crush on her...nothing she returned though. When I finally _did_ get the nerve to admit how I felt, she rejected me. It was friendly and gentle...but it was still a rejection...I kind gave up after that...until I met Selena.." and his mood darkened at the memory of his ex.

"When you introduced us..." Ruby began, hurt in her voice, "You said I was a close friend...we're mates."

"I know..." Alex replied, "I'm sorry but...Sabrina doesn't know about my bestiality, and I'd rather she don't find out."

"Why?"

"Would rather her view on me isn't damaged any further...besides, it's not really important to bring up."

The dolphin sighed, a sad whistle within it, "I guess..."

"Hey..." he smiled towards her, kissing the top of her head, "I still love you, Ruby. Is it really necessary I tell you that every five minutes though?"

The dolphin blushed nervously, "Sorry...I guess I worry too much..."

"Yes you do," he replied, hugging her, "But I still love you regardless."

Silence fell between them as Alex moved from washing her back to washing her belly, and the dolphin suddenly said, "I'm glad you're back..."

"Me, too," he replied, "I really missed you, Ruby."

"I missed you, too..." then, "How did you manage to convince the government to spare me? They seemed rather hellbent on my death."

"Not important," Alex replied, "What _is_ important is that you're here, you're safe, and all that might have happened back in that hospital is gone."

She then requested, "Listen...please don't stay mad at Piermont and Spyro. I understand why they did what they did...and I admit, I _was_ really stupid. I did a lot of stupid things, I was very pathetic, and I deserved what happened while you were gone. Don't worry though, Lucy says she's gonna help me get better. She says that when she's done, I'm gonna be a proud and happy dolphin."

"I'm not mad at them," he replied, "I just don't want them around you anymore. You are...special, you're sensitive. Now that's not a bad thing at all...but I think that sometimes we just have to be a little more careful with you. I understand where they were coming from, too, but at the same time, they could have been a _lot_ nicer than they were."

As Alex began to clean her lower belly, being careful around her genital slit, silence fell between them again. Eventually, she said, "I had a dream about you last night."

"Really?" he asked, casting her a grin, "What about?"

"There was this big battle in a laboratory, and I was exposed to this gas that made me a human..." she fell silent for a moment before continuing, "When we went home, I tried to mate with you, but you said you wanted to get married first. Then we got married, and the night after that we camped out in the forest, next to the lake where we first mated. We mated again then, and then the next morning, I found out I was pregnant. I was very happy."

Alex paused in his ministrations to cast her a sympathetic glance, "You really want to be human...don't you?"

She shrugged, "I just want to be married to you and to have little children."

He straightened, turning to face her and looking into her eyes, brushing her face with his thumb, "It really means that much to you...doesn't it?"

She nodded, "As silly as it sounds, yes."

He hugged her, burying his head in her belly, "I love you, Ruby."

"I love you, too, Alex," and she returned the hug, "I'm glad to be your mate."

"I'm glad that you're happy..."

"As long as I'm with you, I'll _always_ be happy," she nodded firmly.

Alex was the last one to go to bed that night. While everyone slept around him, he was on his computer, trying to decide how and what he was going to do. He was startled by a hand grabbing onto his shoulder and as he muted the song—Poison's _Every Rose Has Its Thorn_ –he looked up to spy Terrias peering at the computer screen, "Hell you doing?" the servine whispered.

The Commander scooted aside to allow the creature some space to sit, and he responded, "Trying to figure out how I'm gonna do this."

"Do what?"

"It's gonna sound stupid..."

"Like I really care? What's on your mind, man?"

Alex sighed, "Ruby _really_ wants to marry me, and she wants kids...now, I can't really do the kids thing but..."

"You're going to try and marry her?"

"Maybe...preferably before we get locked up."

"Wow..."

"Shut up..."

Terrias shrugged, unsure of how to respond, "I guess...if it'll make her happy...but good fucking luck finding someone who'd be willing to wed you two. Better yet, good luck at finding some kinda legal loophole to exploit to even _allow_ you to wed her."

"I know that..."

"What would it matter anyway? You two would still be doing the same shit regardless of whether you're officially recognized as a couple by the feds or some kinda church."

"Hey...I know how ridiculous and pointless it is...but it's something that Ruby really wants. There's a certain symbolism in there that she needs, I guess."

"You really care about her..."

"Of course I do! I love her...and sometimes you'd just gotta suck it up and do something stupid and pointless just to make your lover happy."

The servine chuckled, "Shit...I'd be spending all this extra time trying to find a way to get her pregnant, rather than trying to squeeze a wedding ring on her fin..." he then suggested, "You know...I'm sure there's a way that you can rig up something so you can transfer dolphin sperm to her during one of your sessions, get her pregnant that way. Hell, Sapphire may not even mind being the donor."

"Tried that, she said that she wants _my_ kid, not someone else's. I'm sure this extends to borrowing a bull's sperm to get her pregnant, too. She wants it to be genetically mine."

"Good fucking luck."

"That's basically what I told her...although a little more friendlier..."

Defeated, Alex finally closed his laptop, slipping it onto the floor and rubbing his face, "Dunno what I'm gonna do man..."

"Nothing you really _can_ do...you two aren't really capable of doing much. With the species barrier, there is literally nothing more you can do than what you're doing now."

"Yeah? Try getting that through Ruby's head. I love her, but goddamn can she be stubborn."

"It happens..." they both suddenly looked up to spy the shadow of Tiberius standing in the doorway, staring them down, eyes glowing in the faint moonlight shining from outside. With an irritated snort, the raptor walked away, and exchanging awkward glances, Alex and Terrias soon followed him.

They found the raptor standing outside on the back deck, looking up towards the full moon in silence. Upon the duo's arrival, he said to them, eyes never averting from them, "There is something you two aren't telling us...I knew I couldn't trust you."

"Listen," Alex began, "We were just talking about random shit...there's nothing going on."

"So what does this have to do with mother?"

"Mother?" then, "Ruby...?"

"Our mother, the one who took care of us...who you call Ruby."

Alex grinned nervously, "Listen...don't tell her we were talking about her...I don't wanna get her hopes up for nothing."

"What are you planning?" he snarled.

"Alex isn't planning anything," Terrias spat, "He's just trying to figure out how to bypass some legal loopholes to fulfill one of Ruby's dreams, that's it. We're not scheming...you don't seem to realize that what we did as Ares and Thanatos was beyond our control. The Reapers are dead, we're not with them anymore."

Tiberius snorted, "They should have killed you both...after everything you did to us."

"Really now?" Terrias growled, baring his fangs, "They should have killed _you_ for being products of _Perditus_! They should have killed Aphrodite, too. But they didn't because you're good guys, which is what _we_ are, so stop being so fucking narcissistic and drop whatever petty little grudge you hold against us!"

With a growl, the raptor had pounced upon the servine, pinning him to the ground and roaring in his face. Terrias breathed heavily, struggling to hide the fear he felt at the sudden attack, "You pathetic creatures don't even _know_ what you did to us!" the raptor hissed.

"Then stop being so goddamn moody and _tell_ us," Alex spat bitterly, unfazed, "We're not fucking mindreaders, why are you so pissed off at us? You were created by the Reapers, not us. If you're gonna go off on anyone, go off on Aphdrodite, she's your creator!"

"Her experiments were under _your_ orders!"

"No, her experiments were ordered by _Harbinger_!" Alex snapped, "We were nothing more than oracles through which it spoke! What the fuck's your problem, man?"

He finally hopped off of Terrias, snorting and looking away, "Nothing that _you_ would care about."

"Try me," Alex replied.

After several minutes of silence, the raptor finally began in a begrudging tone, "Every day, my sleep is terrorized with the dying cries of my brethren...not even just the ones slain by your army for their ferocity, but the ones murdered by the machines for their resistance to the Reapers' mission. We were born connected to the hivemind, so when one of our brothers or sisters were killed, my sister and I could feel it."

"Yeah? We got the same fuckin' problem," Terrias growled, "It's called the mutual mind bank. Get used to it."

Tiberius continued, "Although I don't deny that the deaths of the feral ones should have occurred, I _do_ deny the cold-blooded murder of the ones who resisted...murders that Ares and Thanatos relished in."

"That was beyond our control," Alex repeated, "I'm sorry that happened, but we had no control over ourselves. Things are different now...the Reapers are dead, Harbinger has no influence over us anymore."

"That won't bring them back...and that won't silence their death cries and their pain as the life drained from their mangled corpses...what Sister and I feel to this very day."

"Now you know what I go through every fucking time I close my eyes," Alex replied coldly, "Every time I sleep, I relive the battles I've fought, I witness the deaths of my friends again and again and _again_. You're not special, this is something we _all_ undergo, _especially_ members of Alpha Company _because_ of our telepathic connection to one another..." Alex approached to gently pet the raptor, but upon contact, the creature's flesh twitched and squirmed beneath his touch and the beast rotated swiftly on his heels, growling and baring his fangs at the Commander.

"Do not touch me!" he hissed, "I don't trust you and your kind, I will _never_ trust you or your kind.. Sister may, but she's naïve, innocent, she doesn't know of the true threat that you pose to our existence! You best hope I never encounter her near you, or I _will_ rip you to shreds!"

Terrias grinned, "Shit, Alex...guess that means no sexy lovemaking between you two."

"I will devour you, too, Ares!" the raptor hissed, heading back inside the house.

After several moments of awkward silence, Terrias said, "Well...he's a bundle of fun, isn't he?"


	6. Chapter V: Renaissance

_**Chapter V**_ **:**

 **-''Renaissance''-**

 **-Connorsville, Illinois-**

 **- _07 June 2015_ -**

 **- _0819 Hours_ -**

Alex awoke the next morning, opening his eyes to feel a heavy weight on his bare chest. He blinked the sleep away, looking down to spy Ruby, sleeping soundly, curled tightly against him, and with a smile, he gently stroked her head. When he looked up again, he saw Sabrina standing in the doorway, casting him a puzzled glance. The Commander only shrugged nervously, saying nothing, "Well..." the girl began, "When your girlfriend wakes up, come on down to the kitchen, breakfast is ready..." and she left the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

When Alex and an exhausted Ruby piled into the kitchen, they found the rest of Alpha Company already awake and feasting on the homemade breakfast Sabrina had fixed. "Did you two sleep well?" the girl asked.

"Well enough, I suppose," Alex responded, looking away when his eyes met the distrustful Tiberius'.

"I have a question for you guys..."

"Sure," the Commander replied, "What's up?"

"You going to that renaissance fair downtown today?"

"Doubt it, why?"

She shrugged, "I remember you used to love swordplay, wasn't sure if you were going to attend there or not."

Terrias grinned, "Hell, we should...not like we got a whole lot going on today...would rather go there than truck back to New Alexandria for another damn patrol or some shit."

"That sounds like it'd be fun!" Ruby replied, perking up, "Can we please go, Alex?"

Alpha Company arrived at the forested park where the Renaissance fair was occurring, finding that it was already bustling with activity. The smell of manure mingled with the smell of fresh-baked food, straw, and body odor, creating a nauseating-yet-comforting aroma that brought upon memories of their various misadventures in the Gothics. Alex was clad in Messorem's charred, black armor. The horned, barbute helm gave him an almost eerie, demonic appearance. The heavy, steel, overlapping plates that covered the very worn chainmail beneath reeked of mothballs, and faintly, of charred flesh, although the Commander had grown accustom to the ever-present stench.

Dash was clad in steel armor, custom forged in the Gothic nation of Skyrim, suited to fit her. The young man rode upon the cyan blue pegasus into the festival, oblivious to the awkward stares of the surrounding families and performers. "Wonder why everyone is staring..." the pegasus asked nervously.

"Doubt they're used to seeing a bunch of...eh...characters...like ourselves," Terrias replied, "I mean, it's not necessarily common that you see a bunch of talking animals strolling casually down the street."

"Maybe they're envious of my armor," the Commander chuckled, "I mean, this shit's legit you know."

"Yeah? And you look like one of those fuckin' Black Knights from _Dark Souls_ ," the servine continued, "Probably think you're just a L.A. ."

"Bloody hell..."

They were interrupted by the crowd erupted into cheers and catcalls, and upon looking around, Alpha Company watched as several horsemen, all clad in thick armor, raced around the perimeter of the festival, heading towards the stables adjacent to what appeared to be a jousting arena.

Terrias grinned, nodding towards Alex, "You and Dash should join the tournament, see if you stand a ghost of a chance against these pros."

"I'd rather not..." the Commander replied, "They'd likely kick our asses...sides, we'd probably be barred from entry since Dash is...eh...not your typical horse."

The pegasus groaned playfully beneath her rider, "I'm a _pegasus_ , not a horse!"

He only responded by idly patting her mane, "I dunno...what do _you_ think Terrias?"

"Live it a little, man...let's see how good you are."

"Even inexperienced?"

"Fuck yeah, man!"

"What do you think, Dash?"

The pegasus only shrugged, "Up to you, I don't care either way."

"Hmm..."

With the sound of ceremonial horns filling the air, the competitors in the jousting tournament launched out of the stables, armored heavily, racing around the plaza where the tournament was being hosted, the competitors showing off to the cheering crowds. Alex and Dash were the last out of the stables, the pegasus' wings folded at her side, almost completely hidden beneath her armor. Alex, still clad in Messorem's armor, rode out from within the dark interior of the wooden structure, wielding his ancient blade to the clear blue skies. Dash reared on her back hooves, and the Commander clasped her reigns tightly, roaring, "Onward!"

The pegasus sped throughout the spectators, startling the unsuspecting crowd and bringing cheers from within. The host of the tournament proceeded to provide a small bit of backstory to jousting, and after his spiel, he introduced the competitors. The Commander, having entered under the name of his ancient incarnation, was the last to be announced, and after being called, his mounted once more reared into the air, Alex roaring in a booming voice, audible throughout the crowd, although unamplified with any technology, "... _And I looked and behold, there was a pale horse! And his name that sat upon him was Death, and Hell followed with him! And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth!_ "

Following this, the crowd erupted into almost deafening roars and applause while Dash continued to show off, slyly using her mutation-granted electrokinesis to summon a small lightning storm around them. Instantly, Alex felt the demon within him, the other half of the fallen archangel, known as Necrodusk, awaken. Before he even knew what was going on, Alex felt compelled to say something else, something beyond his control. This time, his voice was faintly layered, although hardly noticeable, and Necrodusk called to the masses, "But alas! The angels in Heaven knew him by another name: the fallen Archangel Messoremel, first of the reapers. They were given order to oversee the conquest of the earth, to call forth the final judgment! And the masses looked upon them with wonder and fear, for they knew that an encounter with the horsemen meant damnation and suffering! They cursed their Lord while they fled, but although they cowered and they hid, they could not escape the hunt!" the crowd applauded and Necrodusk released control back to his host, retreating into a corner to observe and telepathically informing his host, _Much of Revelations has been erased from the holy scrolls...the resurrection of the Old Regime is very prominent in the original texts. Messoremel himself is prophecied to descend onto the earth to oversee judgment and the war against Lucifer. A shame that his punishment meant that all reference to the archangel or his brethren had to be struck from the tomes._

 _And the other horsemen?_ Alex thought back.

Necrodusk chuckled, _They are Old Regime, yes...though I fail to remember their full names. Much like Messorem, their names were forcibly removed from the books, instead referred to simply by the plagues of which they represent...that is part of our curse._

 _I know you said that the Old Regime is incomplete...but I must ask, are any of Alpha right now embodying the horsemen?_

 _Unsure...my memory is clouded at best. We were not blessed with the visions which the authors of the books were. All I remember of the forbidden texts are from what I heard before our punishment._

 _You think that the unedited version is still around somewhere?_

 _Perhaps...but the odds of its survival are incredibly slim...and even if it_ did _survive the ages, it is almost surely unreadable, or indecipherable. The Word of God was edited long before it was ever printed...we were wiped from mention back when the books were still being told through oral tradition._

 _How did we ever earn such a punishment?_

 _Vitamel's resurrection of Lucifer was far worse than the original sins of mankind. Her actions were seen as the ultimate betrayal of God. Humans would forever be tainted with the sin if they had committed it, much like they are with the Original Sin. To have a righteous angel of God commit it, especially one of His archangels, is even_ worse _._

 _Wasn't Vitam human herself though? Could this have been why she was capable of sin in the_ first _place? She was_ born _human after all, then she ascended once Messorem took her as a wife._

 _No, she ascended when Messorem took her as a partner, an opposite in the cycle of Life and Death. Their love and marriage did not occur until many millenia after her ascension. Upon the event, her humanity was rescinded in full. Once upon a time, her ascension was seen as a miracle, specifically the Miracle at Albamont...the town from which she came. Much like her and her husband, however, the village from which she came was also erased from time, reduced to ruins by greed and corruption at the cunning manipulation of God, who set Lucifer and his rebellion upon the town, and destroyed entirely by a great eruption._

 _When was the village destroyed?_

 _I do believe it was destroyed shortly after the Great Betrayal, where the immortal child of Messorem and Vitam turned against his father to join Lucifer's rebellion._

 _What was the kid's name?_

 _I cannot speak his name, for the very mention of the word imbues power into the cursed offspring's perverted spirit._

 _Why would he betray his own father?_

There was a deeply saddened, mental shrug from Necrodusk, _That, my friend, is a question I ask myself every day...something I_ have _asked myself ever since it occurred long ago...Was it Lucifer's influence overpowering our weakness? What planted the seeds of rebellion into his heart? And perhaps the most painful question of all...was there a way we could have prevented it?_

 _His betrayal deeply hurt Vitamel...and maybe it was this that twisted her to sin, that enabled her to commit what she should have been incapable of committing._

 _One more question..._

 _Ask._

 _If Messorem_ and _Vitam were to be reunited...why was I born a human and Ruby born a dolphin? Bestiality is a sin...why would we have to commit sin to match this holy prophecy?_

 _That is something I am unsure of myself...I_ do _know that Ruby molested you as a child, so perhaps her demotion and birth into a sickly, dying animals forty years into the past was an attempt to punish her for this._

 _And yet I'm sinning by_ being _with her..._

 _I assure you, Alex, your sin is on Ruby's hands...not yours. Your mated relationship with Cynder and Rainbow Dash_ is _on your own hands, something you will answer to on Judgment Day...but your sin for mating with Ruby is on hers and hers alone._

 _I feel bad for her...she's been through so much already._

 _Unfortunately, this is the product of her own actions...it's karmic retribution. Rarely does punishment for sin carry over across multiple incarnations, but hers was so dire and damning that it resulted in just that. And each subsequent incarnation of hers has seen her make the same mistakes again and again...I can only assume that our Father is_ quickly _losing patience with her, and this is the final attempt to purify her tainted soul._

 _By subjecting her to this kinda shit?_

 _In times of darkness and overbearing suffering, you'd be surprised by how quickly a soul will turn to God. I know not what our Father is trying to do...but it seems to me that He is subjecting her to this in an attempt to straighten her out._

 _You seen this before?_

 _No...but then again, I have only_ recently _cared to follow the actions of Heaven. You forget I've spent the last several millenia as one of Lucifer's lieutenants, serving under He-Who-Shan't-Be-Named. I've only recently found myself in light contact with the angelic hierarchy._

Alex then slightly changed the subject, _So there's nothing I can do to ease Ruby's suffering?_ and the young man turned to face his delphinic mate, hiding at the rear of the crowd, smiling towards him.

 _I'm afraid not...eventually, her karmic debt will be repaid...but until then, all you can do is allow her destiny to play out. I understand your pain, I know how you feel, and it hurts me, too, to see her undergo all of this...but it is all on her. She is paying for the sins she has committed across her incarnations, and those she committed as Vitam._

 _Any indication of how much longer until she'll have paid for her sins?_

 _Unfortunately, there isn't...only God manages and tracks it, and only He knows how much longer it will be until she receives the relief she needs. My suggestion? Ease her suffering in any real way you can...be there for her, take care of her, and make sure she knows she is loved. Although you cannot truly help remove her debt, you can at least make sure she doesn't suffer alone._

Dash and Alex rode to one side of the arena, the Commander snapping from his trance and his private conversation with Necrodusk as one of the attendants raced up to him, handing him a heavy, wooden javelin. He tested the weight, trying to figure out which arm would be more comfortable for him to wield it with before swapping to his right arm, giving a few testing jabs. The attendant asked, "Do you know how to play?"

The Commander nodded, "Rog...never jousted before but...I know how to do it. Medieval shit is one of my specialties."

The man nodded in response, "Well, good luck out there."

"Thanks," the Commander replied, affectionately petting Dash's head, "We got this one in the bag."

"Don't get hurt or killed," the pegasus grinned mischievously, "Don't wanna have to drag your ass back to the others and get blood all over me in the process."

"Well I'd _hope_ I don't get killed...guess you'll have to revive me."

She rolled her eyes playfully, "Maybe I'll consider mouth-to-mouth... _maybe_ , no promises."

He hugged her, "D'aww...I love you, too, Dashie."

"Oh! Shut up!"

"You guys ready to go?" the attendant asked.

Alex nodded, replacing his helmet, "Rah!"

The gates dropped and Dash reared as she launched forward at full speed. Alex braced himself for the sudden burst of speed, tightening his grip on the pegasus before readying his lance. His opponent was riding on a chestnut horse, clad in basic steel armor. The rider himself wore a set of plated steel, painted a deep gray, almost black, and Alex smirked behind his helm, "Only room for _one_ black knight, bud!"

Both javelins connected with their targets upon the first passing, but neither rider was dislodged. The blow of his foe's lance against his chest _did_ knock the wind out of him, flaring his vision into a brilliant red and bringing him close to unconsciousness. His body danced with the blue spark of healing, and Dash, sounding deeply concerned, asked from beneath him, "Hey...are you okay?"

"F...Fine..." he managed, gasping for breath, "Was _NOT_ expecting that..."

"We'll get a moment to recover, don't worry. Oh, and for the love of God, don't puke!"

They reached the end of the track, Dash rearing up and pulling off a nauseating hairpin turn, summoning protest from her dazed rider. While Alex recovered, the pegasus danced eagerly in place, excitement and adrenaline flowing through her veins. The attendant here handed the Commander a fresh javelin, patting him gently on the back and encouraging him, "You got this! You can do it!"

Determined, they launched onto the track once more, Alex readying his weapon and snarling beneath his horned helm. The second pass, only Alex's opponent's lance connected, slamming directly into the young Commander's shoulder. Dash reared as pieces of the broken weapon stabbed through the breaks in her armor, into her flesh, and Alex lost his grip, sliding off of the pegasus' back and slapping onto the cold, hard, earthen ground, out of breath. He lay there, dazed, struggling to regain his breath, being showered with splinters, and Dash continued sprinting ahead, running clumsily into the stable at the end. The victor's horse danced across the track, the man himself calling to the crowd in a deep voice, "And so, another foe has fallen to mine mighty spear! May this knave forever rot in the castle dungeon!"

"Fucking hell..." Alex groaned beneath his shallow breath, gently picking himself up and stumbling towards the stable at the opposite end of the track.

"Are you okay?" Dash asked in a worried tone, "I'm sorry...I should have moved a little more away..."

Alex waved her off, "I'm fine," and he collaped to the ground, taking a seat beside her and leaning against her warm flank, "Just...was caught off guard, that's all."

"Word of advice," the attendant began, "The javelin is basically a spear...spears don't function the same way as swords. You can't do much damage by swinging them around...especially in cases like this."

Alex only sighed.

When he and Dash left the stable, they found the rest of Alpha Company approaching them, Terrias chuckling, "Well, looks like someone got their ass kicked."

"Piss off," Alex snarled, "I've never jousted before so cut me some slack."

"I have no pity for you," the servine replied, "You did this to yourself."

"Bite me," Alex hissed, abruptly walking away.

Terrias paused in his approach, "Right now? Here? C'mon, don't you at least wanna take me out for a date first? I don't fuck on the first date, man."

The Commander said nothing, standing beside Ruby who quickly set to work on examining him to ensure he was all right. "For the record..." Piermont began, voice low and bitter, "Shit ain't a sword, dumbass...spears don't work the same way."

"Leave him alone, Piermont," Ruby whimpered.

"Fuck you, goddamn fish," the human-form dragon snarled, lighting a cigarette between his lips, "You're goddamn lucky Alex vouched for you. Woulda left your sorry ass back there to rot."

"Leave her be," Alex replied coldly.

"Do you know _why_ she was gonna be killed in the _first_ place!? She _murdered_ seven people!"

"Your point is?"

"Are you fuckin' kiddin' me, _hombre_? Your girlfriend _KILLED_ people! She deserved what she got!"

"Yeah? Well there's about to be one more body if you don't shut your goddamn trap."

Piermont's jaw dropped, the cigarette falling to the ground, "Was that a threat?"

"You tell me," Alex replied harshly, eyes narrowing, "Don't test me."

"You know what?" he surrendered, "Fine...if you wanna sleep around with this crazy bitch, be my guest, but don't come crying to me when you wake up one morning with a knife to your throat."

"She wouldn't do that."

"You so sure?"

But Alex ignored him, continuing his brisk walk into the rest of the fair, the others of Alpha Company hurrying to catch up. Eventually Piermont remained in place, alone, and with a scoff, he broke into a jog.

That night, Alex cuddled with Ruby on the bed in the darkness of the room they shared, the Commander idly stroking his sleeping mate's head. There was a light rasp on the bedroom door, and the Commander looked up to see Terrias standing in the doorway, arms crossed at his chest, "You doing okay?" the servine asked him.

Alex shrugged, turning to face his mate again, "Not sure...just..." he shook his head, "Trying to enjoy this while I still can."

"You're really beat up about this, huh?"

"How long do you think we'll be gone?" Alex asked his friend, "I mean...how long do you think they'll keep us locked up?"

"Honestly...I don't know," the servine replied with a sigh, "Hard telling...we _did_ kill a lot of people as Ares and Thanatos, regardless if we were in control of ourselves or not."

"Thanks..."

"What? I'm just telling the truth, I thought that's what you wanted to hear...thought you weren't necessarily the type that would take half-assed 'feel good' answers."

Alex shrugged, "I don't know...I'm just...this whole thing is kinda stressing me out...I'm glad she's safe...and I'd rather get locked away for Christ knows how long, to come out and see her smiling face again than to be a free man visiting his girl's tombstone every weekend. I don't regret turning myself in, I just worry about how long it'll be before I see her again."

"You really love her, don't you?"

Alex nodded slowly, saying nothing, hugging the sleeping dolphin, "More than you can imagine."

"Everything will work out in the end, don't worry, man. However," and the servine took a seat beside his friend, at the foot of the bed, "I _do_ agree, enjoy the time you have left with her while you still can, cause memories is all we'll have once we walk into that courtroom until the day comes where we have served our time."

" _If_ it comes...with the amount of people we killed, I wouldn't be surprised if we're stuck in the pit for life."

"Gotta be optimistic about it all. Who knows? Maybe we'll get the B.O.T.D from the feds since we weren't controlling ourselves."

"Doubt it..." and silence fell between them for several moments before Alex finally said once again, "You know...you never realize just how luck you are, just how blessed you are, until a time comes where the threat of losing it all is imminently looming overhead. I don't wanna leave her, Terrias...and it's not just because the sex is good...it is...but that's not the only reason. There's also these little things, too...waking up every morning to see her laying there beside me, the way she looks at me, the way she smiles...the way she melts into my arms when I'm holding her..." he shook his head, "I don't want to lose all of this."

"I understand," the servine replied in a tired voice, nodding, "It's the same way with me and my Aria."

"Terrias...why _did_ you go with me? I'm asking seriously...this was _my_ fight."

The servine smiled sadly, "Perhaps but..." and he tossed an arm around his friend's shoulders, "You know...you've done a lot of stupid shit, you've risked your life, to save mine...it's the least I could do to repay you. Besides, we're _both_ guilty...I'm more guilty than you even...since the shit I did as Ares was far worse—and I was that bastard for a much longer time—than you did as Thanatos. If we _both_ go into this...least we can do is protect each other, since we'll have no friends where we're going."

"Do you think she'll be okay?"

"Not sure, Alex...you tell me, she's _your_ mate. You know her more than I do."

The Commander gently stroked Ruby's back, scratching the base of her dorsal fin, she muttered something quietly within her sleep, shifting her positions and nuzzling closer against him, "No, I don't...and that's what worries me."

"Did you tell her?"

Alex shook his head.

"You really should...she needs to know what's going on...what we had to do to buy her freedom...if anything to keep her from making the same damn mistake again."

"And risk destroying her with stress and guilt again? I can't do that to her!"

"Alex..." Terrias sobered, "She's a big girl...you can't win every fight for her, you know. She has to be able to make her own decisions...her own choices. If she decides to set herself down the same road that she went last year...that's her own fault. If you keep bailing her out, she won't learn from her mistakes. You need to lessen the leash a bit."

Alex frowned.

"I know it sucks...and I understand why you're afraid...but unfortunately, you're not _always_ gonna be there for her...she needs to be able to take care of herself. Listen, tomorrow, I want you to tell her the truth. Tell her what _we_ had to do to save her life. Regardless of how she reacts, do not try to comfort her, do not try to make her believe it's not her fault...it is. She needs to deal with her mistakes on her own...that's the _only_ way you'll manage to get her to learn, to grow...to evolve."

"Are you sure?"

Terrias nodded, "Yes, I am."

"God damn it..."

"I know..." the servine hugged his friend affectionately, "But she's gonna have to start learning how to do things on her own. We have less than six months before we're gonna be far away from here and will be completely unable to even _communicate_ with our friends here. She needs to start getting used to doing things on her own."

"We tried that..." Alex spat, "And she went through a half-dozen suicide attempts before Spyro and Piermont finally got tired of her shit and locked her away."

"If that's what she decides to do to herself...then so be it. You've done all you can for her, you've given her more than enough chances to fix herself. What she does now is on her, you can't keep bailing her out."

Alex fell silent, realizing that what the servine was telling the truth, if Ruby was unable and unwilling to improve on her own, then she needed to start being held accountable for her own mistakes. He had done all he could to guide her to better herself, it was time that she started growing up. Relucantly, he finally submitted, "Fine...I'll talk to her tomorrow."

"Good," and the servine picked himself up, stretching, "Hopefully she'll learn from this and _not_ put herself in the same damn situation we just roped her out of."

"Admittedly, I have my doubts," Alex sighed, "I hope I'm wrong."

"So do I...you really love her, and I can tell she loves you, too...but things need to start changing around here."

"We'll see."

"Awesome..." and Terrias nodded towards him, "By the way, Fox called a couple of hours ago, something about us needing to come back to New Alexandria in the morning."

"Why? What for?"

The servine chuckled, sending him a grin, "Guess who decided to come back?"


	7. Chapter VI: Libro Morturom

_**Chapter VI**_ **:**

 **-'' _Libro Mortuorum_ ''-**

 **-Above Kabul, Afghanistan-**

 **- _22 August 2015_ -**

 **- _1414 Hours_ -**

"Holy shit! Look at all those dunes!" Rocket roared, staring outside the window of Alpha Company's Hornet.

Alex was sitting across from the raccoon, having disassembled his AK47 and was currently cleaning the weapon. Dispersed within the relaxing Alpha Company were several squads of United States Marines in a joint operation in the Middle Eastern nation's capital.

"Excitable, aren't you, Private?" Spyro smirked.

"So what's our mission?" Terrias asked ignoring them.

"Hell if I know," the Commander replied, "Something about taking on this crazy cult-like militia."

"LKA?" Spyro asked.

"No..."

" _Maxia_?" Cynder added.

"Negative, not really sure who or what they are...I'll let you take your guesses."

"Why do they need our help? Can't they handle this by themselves?"

"Hey I'm just glad we get a break from the action a little bit," Alex replied.

"What? The hell you smoking, _hombre_?" Piermont scowled, "This ain't a break from action! We're going _into_ the action here!"

"Fine, then it's a break from the bullshit drama that's swimming around here."

"You mean the bullshit drama cooked up by _your_ goddamn fish?" the human-form dragon continued.

One of the marines turned to face them, shaking his head, "Man, I don't know how you guys manage to stay together when you're constantly at each others throats."

"You don't know that," Alex replied with a smug grin.

"I've heard stories."

"Ignore the tabloids, mate, they are never true."

"Wasn't in the tabloids..." then, "So what exactly _is_ going on around here?"

"Group we've been calling the J.T.F.-that's Jerusalem Task Force-dunno what the hell they want, only that they've been causing all kinds of trouble in the Middle East. Something about this book they're looking for or...who knows. Anyway, they bombed the living hell out of Jerusalem last week after they apparently couldn't find what they were looking for."

The Hornet landed in the heart of an American base just outside of Kabul, depositing its occupants into the scorching hot sands of the desert. A convoy of Humvees pulled up alongside the the helipad, idling in place to await its passengers, and Alpha Company climbed aboard, to be greeted by the Marines within. "Welcome to Hell," the driver of the High Command's Humvee said, extending a hand, "Captain John Baker, Allison Company, nice to meet you in person, Commander Vaughn."

"Pleasure's mine," the Commander replied, shaking it, "So what's going on around here? J.T.F is hunting down a book, that's what we've heard so far."

"Well, you know about as much as we do, Commander."

"So, why'd we come out here?"

"Figured we could use your help...they've established a pretty big base thirteen klicks north. There's a dig site set up around the area, heavily guarded...not sure what they're after but Command's worried about it. You've been volunteered to help us clean it out. Recently, we encountered some strange things out in the desert...got everybody here worried."

"What kinda things?"

"It's gonna sound crazy but...these ragheads that are majorly infested with worms. Talking like tentacles sprouting from various orifices...really nasty shit."

"You seen them personally?"

"Negative, but I've seen pictures. These things are disgustingly mutated and hard as hell to kill...Command thought enlisting the help of Alpha Company could give us the advantage...you guys dealt with the _Maxian_ Elite Ops...if anyone can take these guys down it's' you..." and he fished out his phone, showing Alex a video of a distant man stumbling drunkenly through the desert. Soon, the man collapsed to the ground, and in a burst of dark red, almost black blood, oily, worm-like tendrils writhed and squirmed from his body, slapping at the environment.

"What the actual fuck!?" Piermont snarled, wearing a disgusted grimace.

"Not sure...but this isn't the only one we've seen...the guys have taken to calling them Sluggers."

"How do you kill it?"

"Very carefully...and with a lotta fire...to save us the trouble, been hammering down on confirmed J.T.F camps with white phosphorous since these things _really_ hate fire."

"Think this may be related to the book?" Alex asked.

"Dunno...but they're obsessed with getting it under their possession, and they're willing to fight to the death for it."

"Nothing from captives?"

The captain shook his head, "They refused to surrender...and when we _do_ manage to capture them, they usually commit suicide or force us to kill them before they have a chance to speak. We have two in captivity right now that are still alive, but they aren't saying anything...one of them cut out his own tongue when we closed on his position."

"So we're going in to clear this excavation site out and find this book?"

"Book is the second priority. You're here to help us clean out the J.T.F base...if we stumble across this damned book in the process, awesome. Ain't the end of the world if we don't though. Oh, and one more thing I forget to mention...Intel calls it _kitab almawtaa_ , or the Book of the Dead."

"Rather _cliché_ , don't you think?" Alex chuckled.

The Captain shrugged, "Who knows, man. We've just been told to kill these guys...nobody really cares about this spooky book that may or may not exist. J.T.F is a superstitious lot anyway."

Just as the passengers fell silent, an explosion sounded nearby and the vehicle flipped into the air, landing upside down in a ditch on the side of the road. Ears ringing, vision blurred and slow, Alex was aware of the itch of healing across his body, and he, in a daze, reached down to unbuckle himself. The door was torn open and Captain Baker, standing outside, extended a hand, "Ambush! Let's go!"

With the man's help, Alex clambered out of the overturned Humvee ears still ringing, and he collapsed onto the hot, desert sand. "Ruby!" Alex exclaimed, digging around in the wrecked vehicle to help the pinned dolphin out.

"You still in one piece, soldier!?" Baker scowled, firing towards the J.T.F forces up ahead.

"Close enough!" the Commander responded, guiding the rest of the High Command into cover behind a boulder sitting on the side of the road. The rest of the captain's men huddled here with Alpha Company, all taking turns firing upon the troops up ahead.

"Are you all right?" Alex asked his delphinic mate, who nodded vigorously.

"I'm fine..." she said, "Just...a little startled, that's all."

"Did everyone get out okay?" Alex asked.

Baker nodded, "I think so..."

"Where's this base?"

"Follow me, we're almost there!" and he laid down suppressing fire, preparing to move up the line.

"All this for a stupid fucking book!?" Piermont snarled.

"Makes about as much sense to us as it sounds!" the captain replied, seeing an opportunity to move up the line.

The rest of the friendly forces moved up with him and they soon found themselves at the mouth of a crevice inside of a mountain, leading into a basin where the enemy base was stationed. J.T.F forces spilled out from within the cave, taking up positions around the crevice and firing towards the approaching party, but Alpha Company pushed ahead at the front of the group, driving the enemy forces back.

As the friendly forces entered the cavern itself, they were alarmed to discover that enemy presence was surprisingly light. Alex signed for his unit to advance further in, warning, "Watch your asses guys...too quiet here.."

They could hear distant screams and cries of fear and pain from unseen J.T.F forces, but they couldn't pinpoint where in the cave the sounds were coming from. It definitely didn't seem like they were frightened of the joint Terminator/Marine forces storming their compound. As they group moved towards another crevice leading into what appeared to be a mine, they were startled by a group of bloody and terrified J.T.F troops clambering out of the cave, making run for the compound's exit. Quickly cutting down the escaping enemies, Captain Baker flipped on his flashlight and nodded towards the crevice, "All right...let's go, watch your step."

Alex exchanged determined glances with the reset of his own unit, activating their mutation serum-granted night vision with the blink of an eye, "Right behind you, Cap."

They navigated the caves carefully, taking down anyone that challenged them. Although enemy presence in the dig site was thick, most of them were inexplicably traumatized and reduced to blubbering, incoherent gibberish, oblivious to the world around them. The deeper they went, the stronger Alex's sense of dread became, but he kept his silence, not wanting to frighten anyone.

Eventually, it was Terrias who first gathered the courage to speak what everyone seemed to be feeling, "Something isn't right here...got a really bad feeling..."

"You're not the only one," Baker replied, nodding forward, "Come, we should be getting close."

A shrill, high-pitched, liquid scream startled them all, sounding inhuman and almost animalian, with an eerie, demonic reverb that echoed throughout the world. The sound soon faded into ghastly sobbing, and Alex once more advised everyone to be careful, which Baker repeated. As they went deeper and deeper inside, the Commander found himself suddenly aware of a subtle, subconscious pulse, a droning sound that further instilled within him a sense of heavy uneasiness. They could hear odd breathing echoing throughout the caves, shallow, liquid, and almost like a pained gasp or wheeze.

Nothing could prepare them for what they found in the deepest recesses of the dig however...

Upon entering the innermost chamber, they were greeted by a grisly sight. A few stray beams of sunlight shined down from above, casting light on the site of what appeared to be a massacre. Dozens of bodies were scattered throughout the room, torn to shreds and mangled beyond recognition. They appeared to have been thrown around the room, and freshly spilled blood dripped down from the walls and ceilings onto the floor.

They heard what sounded like dozens of quiet, airy, disembodied voices whispering in an incomprehensible language echoing throughout the room. The room itself appeared to be ancient, long-forgotten ruins, with dilapidated pillars and arches dotting the room in an almost ritualistic manner. Set into a stone pit in the ground was what appeared to be a stone coffin, pried open, and a thick, unnaturally black book cast aside on the floor nearby. The book was sealed shut, its cover woven from an unusual type of leather, so black that it seemed to _absorb_ light, and red runes were etched into its surface, with a familiar icon centered on the front: a shape vaguely resembling the _Maxian_ bull head, only with what seemed to be black tendrils or tentacles emerging from around it like a lion's mane.

A small, frail, priest-like man lay hunched over the coffin, his cloak stained in blood, his back to the group. Baker said something in rapid Arabic, likely ordering a surrender, but the man remained silent. While Baker's squad moved to intercept the hunched over man, the apparent source of those countless, demonic whispers, Alex and the rest of his unit dispersed, investigating the ruins, with the Commander himself strangely drawn to the ancient tome laying on the floor. As he knelt to pick it up, blowing the dust from its cover, he was disturbed to find that the tome radiated a sort of heat, as if it had been laying in the sun all day, and just as he touched the symbol dominating the cover of the book, the hunched priest emitted a harsh, inhumane screech, and he shot up, turning to face the Commander. The man's face was missing, revealing a bloody, gooey crater that oozed a rich black, oily ichor, and just as he reached Alex, his skin began to bubble and crawl, and he doubled over in pain.

With another pained scream, massive, writhing tentacles burst from his chest and body in bursts of black slime, slithering around him like a ball of worms. "JESUS CHRIST!" Baker howled, falling back and firing towards the monstrous creature, but it remained unfazed.

"Fall back!" Terrias roared, "Now!"

Alex, having fallen back from the shock of the grisly sight, rapidly backpedaled towards the entrance to the chamber while the man stumbled forward, snarling and growling, the tentacles growing from his body slapping and stabbing towards the young man.

He suddenly felt a firm, metallic, gloved hand grab onto his shoulder, and he heard Ruby shout from beside him, "We need to get out of here, Alex!"

The dolphin cow helped him to his feet and the two ran off towards the entrance together, Alex's hand interlocked with her gloved fin. As they neared the entrance, a quake-like rumble knocked them round and shadowy, skeletal arms punched through the rocky earth. All around them, the misty skeletons seeped from the ground, pulling themselves out of it as if they were crawling from graves, even though they didn't break the earth. The demonic creatures stood hunched over, launching themselves at incredible speeds towards the group, arms and head flailing.

Instantly, Alex felt Necrodusk awaken into full alert from deep within him, and the indwelling shadow demon screamed telepathically, Filios Diaboli _!? What are_ they _doing here!?_

" _Filios Diaboli_!?" Alex audibly snarled, "What the actual fuck is that!?"

 _We need to get out of here!_ NOW _!_

"Necro! What the _hell_ is going on!?"

 _That book you picked up...let me see it..._

Alex fished out the tome from his satchel, holding it before his eyes, his vision warped and bulged before being overcome in a sickly green tint. He was aware of what sounded like insects burrowing inside of his head, and he heard the possessing demon speak again, this time his terrified voice booming and almost overwhelming, _It's the_ Libro Morturom _..._

"What the hell is a _Libro Morturom_!?"

 _The fabled Book of the Dead...penned by Messoremel to banish Deitus to Purgatory...what the hell are these infidels doing with it in their possession!?_

 _Deitus?_ Alex asked, resorting to telepathy, _Who the hell is Deitus!?_

 _He-Who-Shan't-Be-Named...I deeply apologize,_ Necrodusk replied with a sigh, _He's my...our...son..._

 _What's going on Necro? Who the hell are all these guys!?_

 _It's_ Filios Diaboli _, the private army of the Lifehunter...I'll explain more later, for now we need to get out of here and find a way to dispose of this damned book!_

 _I'll just throw it out here!_

NO! and Necrodusk's mental voice was so powerful it actually managed to briefly deafen Alex, summoning a powerful migraine in the process, _You cannot simply throw it out! If the_ Libro Morturom _has resurfaced, it's only a matter of time before the Sigil of the Bound resurfaces as well! We need to find a way to destroy it!_

 _We'll burn it then!_

 _It doesn't work that way,_ Necrodusk replied gravely, _The book is nearly indestructible, it will not burn, and it cannot be torn nor opened. A safety measure to prevent some ignorant fledgling from accidentally releasing He-Who-Shan't-Be-Named from his binds in Purgatory._

 _What do we do with it then!? I don't want it here!_

 _Hold onto it for now!_ Necrodusk hissed, _At least until I can figure out what to do...but keep it hidden. With the book's exhumation, we will soon have every power-mad beast of Hell_ and _Heaven visiting our doorstep! When we get to safety, grant me control over your body and I will place the necessary wards to conceal it from the omnipresence of our soon-to-be-pursuers._

Finally, they managed to exit the compound into the waning sun, and upon stumbling out into the sunlight the _Filios Diaboli_ once more dissolved into mist, sinking into the ground. The mutant creature collapsed to the ground soon after, the slick, oily flesh of its tentacles boiling and bubbling before, with another shrill screech, the beast exploded in a column of liquefied, black sludge, the remains of its human body: now an armless, headless torso with the chest bloated and blown out, collapsed forward, falling still.

"Great!" Dash sighed, "They're weak to sunlight...that's a plus."

Rocket rubbed his eyes, unable to believe what he had just witnessed, and the others of Alpha Company also expressed disbelief and confusion. The raccoon then said, "What the hell did we just see!?"

Alex's vision once more adopted that sickly green tint, and Necrodusk's powerful, telepathic voice spoke again, this time over the mutual mind bank, audible to everyone connected, _The very beginning of Armageddon_.

- **Skyrim, The Gothics** -

A crippling, inexplicable feeling startled the cloaked dragon-girl, who's eyes instantly turned to face the northeast. Her ears popped and she felt her stomach lurch...something wasn't right. She lowered her hood, revealing her blue-scaled head, and her ice-blue eyes narrowed towards the horizon. _Something very wrong is happening..._ she thought, _I can sense it...evil looms on the horizon..._ and her mouth twisted into a brief grimace before she, walking over to the caribou she had hunted, quickly disemboweled the corpse with her green-bladed _flamberge_ and began to clean her kill.


	8. Chapter VII: Blood and Sand

_**Chapter VII**_ **:**

 **-''Blood and Sand''-**

 **-Kabul, Afghanistan-**

 **- _22 August 2015_ -**

 **- _1914 Hours_ -**

As they drove back to Kabul, Alex sat in the back seat of the car, the ancient book in his lap. _We must find a way to destroy it_ , Necrodusk thought to him, _We cannot allow the Lifehunter to be released!_

"What would happen if he was?"

 _If he is freed from his prison, you_ will _bear witness to the end of the world._

"That's what everyone said about Mabao, and Zack, and the Reapers..."

 _Do not underestimate him!_ Necrodusk hissed, _I wouldn't be surprised if he influenced all of your past foes himself!_

"But why?"

 _Revenge! He betrayed us to join Lucifer's regime! As punishment, I banished him to Purgatory. All he seeks from this world is violence and destruction. The Archdemon Lucifer himself would show more mercy than the Lifehunter is capable of!_

"Sure, we'll just throw this damned thing into the nearest volcano, that'll solve our problems, right?"

 _I don't see how you can find humor in such a dire situation._

"I'm being fully serious."

Necrodusk scowled, _Magma would hardly tarnish the cover, let alone destroy the tome._

"But someone would have to jump in there to get it, right?"

 _I can name several species at first thought that are capable of treading magma without harm. We cannot destroy the book, it is invulnerable._

"Then what's the plan? Cause I got nothing!"

 _Unfortunately, neither do I..._

"You said something about needing some kind of key?"

 _The_ Sigil of the Bound _, the only way to unlock the book and release the evil contained within...but if the tome itself is surfacing, it's only a matter of time before the_ Sigil _surfaces as well, the two are linked to one another...there must be_ something _we can do!_

"What all do you know about this book?"

 _Unfortunately, very little...we didn't create it, Ophelia did._

"Who the hell is Ophelia?"

 _An old, dear friend to us. She was Messorem's guardian and herald. Although she wasn't of the Old Regime, she was cursed to herald the Archreaper's imminent return...so we may see her again if we are truly facing the end times...though who knows what form she may take in this incarnation._

"She was killed, too?"

A mournful silence fell over the demon and he remained silent for a few moments before finally saying, _She was sacrificed...and from her blood, Messorem's twin blades: Soulreaper and Bloodreaver, were forged._

"Well one thing's for sure...we need to know what we're dealing with here...and what those twisted abominations back there were..."

 _Perhaps if we can capture one of the those infidels, we could force them to tell us what exactly they're doing with this damned object._

"And how do we do that?"

 _Ask your military friends here, I'm sure they desire to capture and kill those fools as much as we do...it would help if they could grant us a few hours to...convince...the captive to tell us why they want this book._

"You talkin' to yourself back there?" Rocket chuckled, "People are gonna start to think you're crazy."

"He's talking to Necrodusk..." Ruby sleepily said, currently curled up against her mate, and Alex nodded in confirmation.

"Who the hell is Necrodusk?" the raccoon asked, but his eyes widened with dawning realization as he remembered the mysterious presence that had visited him in his dreams not so long ago.

Once the archdemon had fallen silent, not resuming his slumbering presence as was normal, but retreating into his corner nevertheless, Alex relayed the demon's suggestion to the Marines driving the vehicle. Captain Baker responded, "That actually sounds like a good idea...but we gotta find someone who actually _knows_ something."

 _Alpha Company is resilient to everything these fools can throw at them...all that needs to be done is to deploy the unit into one of their bases, cut through their forces, and capture one of their officers...or even better...one of their priests._ Necrodusk said, and Alex repeated this.

"That might work..." the captain responded, "So how bad _is_ this book anyway?"

"Well...it's the key to the end of the fucking world," Alex replied, "If that says anything."

"You're kidding...right?"

"Nope."

"Jesus Christ...so this is bad then."

"Yes, and the book, due to its demonic nature, is invulnerable to conventional means of destruction. You could throw it in to the core of the sun and it _still_ would survive unscathed."

"I call bullshit on that one, sorry Commander."

 _It's the truth,_ Necrodusk said sadly.

"So...we're sitting on the exact device that could put us into Armageddon...and we're just twiddling our thumbs with it!?" Spyro exclaimed, "There has to be _something_ we can do!"

 _Technically, we're in possession of only one half of the key. The tome is harmless without the Sigil_.

"The hell is a Sigil!?"

Alex told them what Necrodusk had told him.

"If the book is worthless...then explain what those...creatures were!" Baker spat.

"Necrodusk called them _Filios Diaboli_ ," Alex replied, "Apparently they're the personal army of the demon that this book is containing."

"And the mutants?"

 _The book radiates an energy that is capable of twisting even the purest of souls into incomprehensible, eldritch abominations. The power it contains is beyond what anyone could comprehend, even in their worst nightmares...it's no surprise that after so many thousands of years since the Lifehunter's incarceration, some of the wards placed upon the book to contain this seething energy have weakened. Those creatures were corrupted by the radiating energy from the tome...and it'll be much worse if the key is completed and Purgatory is unlocked._

"The Lifehunter?"

"From what I gathered, the Lifehunter is basically the ultimate evil, one step up from Lucifer himself."

 _The Lifehunter isn't necessarily stronger than Lucifer, but he's not as wise and is more rash and unpredictable, he's also driven by a bitter thirst for blood and revenge...that's what made him perfect to be the Devil's left hand, the Lifehunter is more dangerous than Lucifer himself. Whereas Lucifer is more apt to use mortals as simple playthings, like pawns in a celestial game of chess with the Father, the Lifehunter actively seeks to destroy and slaughter them,...he is a ruthless hunter, and we are his helpless prey._

"Who's the Devil's _right_ hand then?" Baker chuckled.

Reluctantly and grimly, Necrodusk responded, _I was...but when the time came for the Base World to witness its final generations, I was stripped of my deific status as the Destroyer of Worlds and bound to my mortal form._

"The Base World?"

"Long story," Alex replied, "Too confusing to get into...but the Base World is basically the name of our universe...according to the angelic and demonic hierarchies."

"That makes sense."

"I do have a question though," Alex began, "Why is the Lifehunter so ingrained in the apocalypse?"

 _Because he is the immortal child of Messorem and Vitam...and much like the Old Regime is tethered to the True Apocalypse, so, too, is the Lifehunter. What worries me is that he was once Old Regime himself...meaning we may soon have to unleash him onto the planet. Understandably, that will be the_ last _thing we do, once everyone else has reunited._

Hey! Wake up mister!

 _Alex's eyes shoot open and he sits up, groaning at the soreness in his body. Almost immediately, he realizes that he's not in in the hotel room back in Kabul, sleeping soundly in bed, curled around his delphinic lover. Instead, he's appears to be on some sort of island, so far up in the sky that he can't see the ground and even the clouds seem to be miles beneath him. Despite his high altitude, however, the wind is calm, peaceful, warm, and he realizes that he_ is _still in bed, merely having a dream._

Are you awake, mister?

 _The voice startles him, it's that of a very young boy, and he searches around the heavenly dreamscape, trying to find its source. It's then that he realizes the voice isn't audible...it's speaking to him telepathically._

Can you help me? I'm trapped here...there's something very bad that's gonna happen and I'm the only one that can stop it.

 _The voice pleas with him, and against his better judgment, he decides to oblige. There is such innocence and youth in it that the boy can't_ possibly _be dangerous. Alex turns around behind him, spying a beautiful, brick path leading through an overgrown forest, and in the distance, he sees a decrepit castle._

 _Feeling nothing, he strolls through the woods, finally reaching the mossy ruins of the castle walls. Although in a waking state, he would be suspicious and alarmed by all of this, he finds that he feels completely safe and comfortable here...and the guiding voice is so friendly and kind. Once he passes through the collapsed gate, a strange, new, innocent aura washes over him, one he figures is the boy's, and he knows the child's intentions are pure._

 _As he enters the castle, he's greeted with a peculiar sight...instead of a grand hall, as what he was expecting, he finds himself inside of an indoor forest. Across from him, he can see a trail marked by charred and petrified foliage. Strolling through the atrium, he finally stops inside of a heavily charred clearing. Directly across from him, surrounded on all sides by earthen spikes broken from the ground and acting as bars to a cell, coal black in color with veins of magma running through them, a very small child, like a toddler, sits in the corner, legs tucked against his chest, head buried in his knees._

 _Alex runs up to the child, crouching beside the cell, "Are you okay?" he asks._

 _The child then looks up to him, eyes wide with fear and relief, and the Commander realizes that he's not staring at a normal child. He appears to be an anthropomorphic goat, only two or three feet tall, with large, bright, orange eyes displaying a sort of loneliness, childlike fear, and innocence, the likes of which Alex had never seen before. His fur is a bright, pure white, glowing faintly red in the unnatural light emitting from his magma diamond prison, and the child is wearing a dirty, dark blue cloak. Two tiny stubs of horns protrude from his skull, slightly curved back on his head, and upon spying the Commander, the child smiles sheepishly, revealing tiny fangs. In a small, timid voice, he says, "You...you came for me..."_

" _Who did this to you?" Alex asks._

" _The girl...she said she was an angel...she called herself Ember...she trapped me in here a long time ago."_

" _Hold on, I'll get you out of here..." and the Commander looks around, trying to find something he can use to liberate the imprisoned child. He uses every elemental power at his disposal, disheartened to find that the magma diamond bars didn't even budge beneath his efforts. Finally, spying a low-hanging tree over the topless prison, Alex quickly scrambles up the trunk, gently balancing himself over the branch and extending a hand towards the goat child. The boy jumps, soft, furry hand grabbing onto Alex's own, and the Commander pulls the child out of the cell, clutching him to his chest and hopping back onto the floor, gently setting the child down._

 _At first, the boy doesn't want to let go, he's trembling and crying into Alex's shoulder, an the Commander asks, "What's wrong?"_

" _You're so nice to me...no one has ever been nice to me...they always say that I'm a monster, that I don't deserve to live...they even tried to kill me...they killed my mama...I saw them. Daddy cut her throat...I'm scared he'll try to kill me, too."_

" _No," Alex replies firmly, "I won't let them...I'll protect you."_

 _The child seems genuinely stunned by this declaration, and sending the Commander a warm smile, he runs up to the young man, hugging him tightly. Alex returns it, finding that he's overwhelmed with the burning desire to take this child home, to raise him with Ruby, to adopt him into his family._

" _Let me take you home," Alex says, "My very special friend and I will take care of you."_

 _The boy smiles, but his eyes are saddened and shining with tears, "I wish I could..." he says, "But I have a job I have to do...my daddy is very angry, he wants to destroy the world...and Uncle Vergil is trying to help him. I need to stop them, only I can. Thank you for saving me, Messorem...everybody says you're a bad guy, but you don't act like it...you're nice..." and without another word, the boy runs off back towards the direction that Alex had come from. He stops just up the path, saying in a sober, sad tone,_ "War is coming...are you ready? You need to warn your friends. Armageddon is beginning...and unless we can stop it, there soon won't be a world anymore..." _and with this, the boy runs off again, finally disappearing._

 _Alex thinks,_ What the...where am I, exactly? Who was that boy?

 _Suddenly, an overpowering, crippling pain tears through him, and he hears a powerful, booming, male voice roar,_ Weak! You are _WEAK! he falls backwards to the ground, pedaling away as a powerful wind blows past him gathering into a swirling vortex before his eyes. From out of the purple vortex, dozens of those oily black tentacles stab out, impaling him and writhing through his body like giant worms. He's lifted off the ground, he howls at the horrifying pain as the tentacles seem to pull him apart. Finally, he hears a disgusting, liquid rip and then..._

...His eyes snapped open. Gasping for breath, in a cold sweat, he was horrified to find that he couldn't move, his body was paralyzed. In an attempt to calm himself, he tried to concentrate less on the horrifying images tearing through his mind from the nightmare and more on the ceiling fan rotating above his head. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't move, and he realized that this wasn't just a dream, someone had invaded his sleeping mind and was currently raping it. He tried to scream but found he couldn't, his body spazzed uncontrollably, each twitch flooding him with new, horrifying imagery. Eventually, his violent seizure awoke Ruby, who was soon at his side, attempting to calm him. Through the darkness, his eyes widened as he saw the invading spirit floating before him...the book. It hovered above his bed, glowing a faint almost invisible purple. Even though he was awake, he could feel the writhing, worm-like tentacles inside of his body, crawling beneath his flesh.

Faintly, he could hear disembodied voices, whispers, and screams echoing throughout his head and the room, although Ruby seemed oblivious to it. _HELP ME!_ He screamed telepathically out into the torrent of hellish ambiance, _SOMEBODY HELP ME!_

Soon after, Necrodusk was instantly awakened, jumping into the fray and attempting to drive off the mental assault. However, the demon's flailing was all for naught, he was easily overpowered, _It's Vergil!_ The demon howled, _He's found us!_

Suddenly, another powerful voice joined the fray, the voice of the child that Alex had freed, _STOP!_ the boy exclaimed with such power and authority that the Commander himself was frightened...what had he unleashed? He felt another alien presence invade his mind, although it didn't attack, instead, it seemed to get between his own presence and the malevolent one, holding the invader off. As the pain and mental rape slowly became more bearable, Alex could sense the invading presence waning, all the while his unseen guardian became even stronger. Alex tried to route all of his energy to the guardian, which Necrodusk likewise did soon after. After several more moments, an eerie, unnatural scream, like that of a ghostly banshee or wraith, sounded throughout the air, audible by even Ruby, who looked around frantically and in fear. Following this, the invader instantly dissipated, and while Alex remained paralyzed on the bed, gasping for breath as if he had been suffocated or drowning, he felt a warm presence envelope him, and an odd, healing-like sensation spread throughout his body...the guardian spirit was healing him.

At first, he felt sick to his stomach, to the point that he almost vomited...something about the healing felt...wrong...unnatural. As if the energy being used to heal his mental injuries was tainted, corrupt. This soon dissipated however, along with the nausea, and once his racing heart had finally calmed, he once more felt that warm presence settle over him...an invisible entity was hugging him. When the odd feeling passed, he could vaguely see a ghostly, shadowy silhouette walk past his bed, very small and almost childlike, before it passed through the wall, vanishing completely. A light, purified air suddenly settled over the room, and Ruby exclaimed, panicking, "What the _HELL_ just happened!?"

"I...I don't know," the Commander replied truthfully, experiencing true, absolute terror and helplessness.

"We need to get out of here!"

"No," Alex replied firmly, "It's gone now..."

"It might come back!"

"It won't," and somehow, he felt this was true, "At least for a long time anyway..."

"Should we tell the others?"

He shook his head, "No...Christ knows what'll happen then."

"But..."

"No buts, Ruby!" Alex hissed, " _Nobody_ finds out about this, promise me!"

Reluctantly, the dolphin complied, "I promise..."

"Good..." he grimaced, "I've got a feeling that we just opened Pandora's box..."

The next morning, Alpha Company silently ate breakfast together, saying nothing. Neither Alex nor Ruby mentioned what had happened the previous night, and no other member of the unit gave any indicator that they had heard anything or anything had happened to them as well. Alex had also chosen not to tell them about the dream he had with the child...he didn't tell Ruby either, he feared that she would come to a conclusion that the boy is the one that had attacked him, although he felt quite the opposite. The boy had _protected_ him, of this he was absolutely certain, just as he was certain that the child was not a threat.

"So..." Terrias began, "Was asking around last night, may have a lead on where to find somebody who knows what the hell this book is all about," and he tapped the satchel carrying the tome, laying on the table, "J.T.F has a captured monastery about...eh...fifty miles east of here. Apparently, their priests will often make pilgrimage to the site, which has long since been considered cursed."

"How so?"

"Well, it was a formerly Hebrew religious site, used by Christians back during the Crusades as a fortified settlement that was then ransacked by Muslim warriors. Place has been laying in ruins since, the locals say it's cursed, desecrated ground and isn't to be visited...but J.T.F has been making almost monthly trips down there. One group of pilgrims actually just passed through town last week _en route_ to the location, scared the crap outta everyone by their 'glazed, distant stares'. What gets interesting is that a few people, who've I already talked to, said that the essence of an evil _djinn_ , with fire as black as night, traveled with them."

"So we're heading there then?" Spyro asked.

"Figured we might as well, maybe we can find something useful."

"Are Baker or his men coming with us?"

The servine shook his head, "Nope...they have objectives elsewhere, we're on our own...course you're not afraid of that, are you Spyro?" Terrias grinned smugly.

"Fuck you," the dragon replied idly.

"Doubt they can do much damage to us," Cynder replied, "It takes a special kind of weapon to do any _real_ damage to a member of Alpha Company...which I doubt these guys have access to, _especially_ since they're not really expecting us. It'll be a piece of cake."

"What do you say Alex?" Terrias asked.

The Commander started, as if distracted, "Huh? Oh...sure."

"Did you even hear a word of what I just said?"

"Yeah," he replied harshly, "Go to this cursed monastery, shoot up the place, and capture ourselves one of these delirious priests."

"Jesus...did Ruby shove a stick up your ass during last night's sexing or what?"

"Shut up, Terrias," Ruby replied.

"I'll take that as a yes."

Alex and Terrias led the rest of Alpha Company through the hot, seemingly endless deserts on rented motorcycles, heading towards the general direction that the locals had pointed them to. After an hour of navigating the harsh, unforgiving terrain, they could see the ruins of the monastery, perched high up on a mountain that overlooked the desert for miles around. It would still take some time before they could reach it, but the structure loomed ominously ahead, and as Alex stared towards it, memories of what had happened the previous night kept flashing through his head, deeply unsettling him. There was definitely something sinister about the place.

"Now, was doing some research earlier," Spyro called over the wind, flying adjacent to the others, "Apparently it's rumored to house a gate to Hell and is known to be the home of various evil spirits. Take these legends as you will, but if one thing's for certain, it's got one hell of a colorful past. The capture and razing of the site half a millenia ago is only _part_ of its supposed 'curse'. Over the years, various organizations and factions have made their home there, including sultans and other royal families, terrorist organizations, militias...you name it. One thing they all have in common...they meet grisly and often sudden ends, every single one of 'em."

"Why would J.T.F want something like this?" Dash asked.

"Who knows," Spyro replied, "My money's on the 'gate to Hell' thing...if summoning a creature from Hell is their intention, which it seems to be."

They eventually arrived at the mountain, regrouping at the base of the mountain, approximately an hour's walk from their destination. "Check your ammo," Alex began, "Be on alert for anything, we're deep in enemy territory. Even if these guys aren't dangerous, Christ knows what they're capable of anyway...be on your guard," he then turned to Ruby, "I want you to stay behind me, okay?"

She nodded, but asked, "Why?"

"Just do it, okay?"

She slowly nodded again, unsatisfied with the answer but submitting nevertheless.

"A'ight, let's move out! Terrias, you're on point."

The first indicator the something was wrong was the smell.

A putrid, nauseating odor saturated the air in and around the compound, reeking of death and decomposition. The closer they came to the compound, the more barren and dead the area looked...and then they saw the blood. Pool, streaks, and smears of dried blood dotted the surrounding area, but there were no bodies in sight. In addition to this, they also saw still-liquid puddles of a black, slick, slime-like fluid. Upon actually _reaching_ the monastery, the unknown fluid had completely overtaken the blood and coated almost everything. That noxious perfume of decomposition also worsened as they neared the building, and the world was eerily silent: there was no wind, and no animals sounded...everything was dead silent.

Upon stepping into the unhallowed ruins, they could spot signs of combat...and the source of the smell. Mostly decomposed corpses, now almost completely skeletal, littered the area, most of them charred. Alex took a moment to crouch beside a skeleton and observe the remains, small black tendrils spiderwebbed throughout them, reminding him of Reaper indoctrination initially, until, much to his horror, the tendrils immediately retreated, slithering from his line of sight. The wind had picked up, blowing through the various cracks and crevices of the ancient structure and creating ghastly sounds reminiscent of tortured screams and moans.

"I don't like this place..." Athena began nervously, "It's scary..."

"Watch your six," Alex replied, "Lotta dark corners and blind spots, perfect place for an ambush."

The further they traveled into the building, the fresher the corpses became until, by the time they reached the center of the building's first floor, marked by a massive, oddly-constructed altar, built into the heart of an atrium, the floor was littered with corpses that couldn't have been older than a few days...likely the pilgrims that the townsfolk had mentioned. A harsh, pained voice suddenly cried out in Arab beside them, startling everyone in the room and putting them on high alert. Upon turning around, Alex saw one of the men, bloodied and mangled, weakly extending a hand, sobbing profusely. He was laying in a pile of corpses and appeared to have been impaled through the stomach.

When nobody moved, only kept their weapons trained on the man, he began to speak English, "Help...don't leave...me here."

"What happened here?" Alex snarled.

"He came...claimed sacrifice...and he left."

"Who?"

"I...I don't know name. They call him _M_ _unqidh_...they say he served Allah," the man weakly shook his head, breathing heavily, "He is a demon."

"Do you know what this is?" Alex snarled, tearing the book from his satchel.

The man's eyes widened and he started breathing faster and shallower, "Away from me! The cursed _kitab almawtaa_!"

Alex nodded towards his companions, crouching beside the man, "All right, you're coming with us...we're gonna have a little chat."


	9. Chapter VIII: Lifehunter

_**Chapter VIII**_ **:**

 **-''Lifehunter''-**

 **-Kabul, Afghanistan-**

 **- _24 August 2015_ -**

 **- _1319 Hours_ -**

Alex walked across the small, dark room, throwing the _Libro Morturom_ down onto the wooden table beside the chair where his captive was bound, "Tell me everything you know about this book and maybe we'll consider letting you off easy."

"I've already apologized, stupid American. I refuse to say anything about that book."

The Commander pulled his Desert Eagle then, placing the cold barrel of the weapon against the man's throat. He snarled, bearing his teeth, "You will, or I'll blow your fucking brains out."

"Go right ahead," the man chuckled grimly, "I'm a dead man anyway...he doesn't take kindly to traitors."

"We can protect you," Spyro said, "All you need to do is tell us what you know."

The man snarled, "You can't protect me...you can't protect _any_ of us! If they want you dead, they will kill you!"

"At least give us a chance."

"And what makes you think that you can protect me or anyone?"

"Because we can," Cynder replied, "We just need to be given a chance, and some information, that's it."

"Fine..." the man grumbled, "We were told that the book was a holy artifact, that it would grant us unimaginable power."

"Who told you?" Spyro asked.

Their captive shook his head, "He wouldn't tell us his name, only that we were to refer to him as the Ancient Prince."

"What did this guy look like then?"

"We never saw him, he appeared to us as a plume of smoke with a deep voice like the wind. He told us that we could have the world if we released the entity that the book contained, something he called the Lifehunter."

"What do you know about the Lifehunter?"

"Only that he's the most powerful being in the world. No one can match his power or ability, he can destroy universes just by snapping his fingers."

"And you thought it was a good idea to release the son of a bitch?" Terrias growled.

"Something about the Prince's voice is like..." the man fell silent, trying to gather the words, "The feelings its sound fills you with are like the gentle caress of a lover. Once you hear him speak, and you hear him preach, it's difficult to go against him...he speaks to your heart and he captivates your interest, it's difficult to explain."

"So he didn't tell you what the book does or how to open it?" Cynder asked.

"I've told you everything I know about it. He said that there was a way to open it, that it required a special key...but he wouldn't tell us what or where it is. In fact, that's why he oversaw the excavations throughout the country...he was looking for this key."

 _So Vergil has no idea where the key is...that is good_ , Necrodusk said.

 _Who?_ Alex asked.

 _The Lifehunter's lap dog and protector...hopefully we won't have to encounter him._

"Do we even have any hints?" Cynder continued, unknowing of Alex and Necrodusk's private conversation.

"No...that was why we were searching..." the man replied.

"And? Did you find anything?" Alex snarled.

"No...we haven't yet."

Alex threw aside a table with a vicious roar, stomping towards the captive who only stared at him, wearing a grim smirk. "YOU _IDIOT!_ " the Commander roared, "WHAT THE _FUCK DO_ YOU KNOW!?"

"Alex! Settle down!" Cynder exclaimed, quickly slipping between him and their captive. Ruby, too, wormed her way between the two, pulling Alex back.

"Chill out, man..." Spyro said.

"Piss off!" Alex roared, storming out of the room.

"Alex!" Ruby exclaimed, chasing him outside. She found her mate stomping towards the street, "Alex! Wait!"

Finally she caught up to him, placing a gently fin on his shoulder and turning him to face her. The Commander was fuming, face a beet red, clearly furious, "Alex, what's wrong?" the dolphin asked him, trying to sound as calm and collected as she could.

"We're THIS FUCKING CLOSE to the goddamn apocalypse! We don't have time to waste going on some wild-ass goose chase!"

"He said that _they_ don't know where it is, either...just..." she breathed calmly, "Take a deep breath and relax. We're still in the lead here."

"Are we _really_?" Alex spat, "Or do we only _think_ we are because we don't even know for sure."

"Violence isn't the answer..." Ruby replied with a firm nod, "We need to be patient, if we let our emotions take control, we _will_ lose the fight. Just relax, okay?" she hugged him tightly, "Everything will be okay, don't worry."

Once he had calmed considerably from his outburst, Ruby broke the embrace, casting him a warm smile and grabbing his hand, "Let's go get something to eat, hmm?"

"No," Alex replied, "I just...I have a headache..." and he headed back towards the motel they were staying, "I'm going to lay down for awhile."

Ruby frowned unhappily before nodding in approval, "Okay...if you need anything, just let us know, okay?"

He nodded.

"I love you."

Alex hugged his delphinic mate, smiling widely and kissing her snout, "I love you, too."

She smiled towards him, gently caressing his cheek with one of her gloved fins before turning around and heading back towards the room they were keeping their captive. Alex watched her leave, standing fixed in place until she had disappeared before he finally made his way across the compound and back to the room he shared with her. As he opened the door, he slipped into the welcoming darkness, shutting and locking it behind him. The blinds were still drawn, and only a faint ring of white illuminated the darkness beyond.

 _Aww...how cute_ , Zack chuckled, and Alex was suddenly aware of his unseen visitor, sitting in an old wooden chair cast off to a corner of the room.

"Fuck off, Zack," Alex replied, falling into bed and curling into a ball. He closed his eyes, frightened to see memories of this time as Thanatos flooding across his vision...it would be a _very_ long night for him.

The Commander awoke from another series of nightmares...reliving memories as Thanatos. Disgusted with himself, he stood up, slipping into the bathroom and drawing hot water. He stripped down into the nude, staring at himself in the mirror beneath the light. His eyes were sunken in, his skin was pale, almost sickly. Sleep deprivation had very obviously taken its toll on him...he hadn't slept well since before he had almost lost his life to the Reapers a year earlier. Hell, he hadn't slept well for years, only now it was beginning to take its toll on him.

The bathtub finally full, Alex sighed, slipping into the water and settling himself within, relaxing. He closed his eyes, trying to filter out everything from his mind, leaving it in a state of serene emptiness. Much to his alarm, he found deeply buried emotions slowly surfacing through the emptiness...ones he had never encountered before: depression, guilt, loneliness, and pain. As he lost himself within his mind, he found himself experience feelings that he had never done before...it seemed that there was more effecting him than sleep deprivation. Naturally, his depressive thoughts turned to him questioning his very existence and purpose...definitely not an alien subject but one that he did not like to show attention, and he had his first, curious thoughts on suicide.

What _would_ happen if he decided to end it all? Most of Alpha Company had long-since become acclimated to his absence anyway...would death affect them at all anymore? Of course Ruby would probably follow soon after...the dolphin was barely keeping control of herself anymore. Maybe they could go out and into the abyss of eternal sleep together? The bathroom door slowly opened then, and a dark shadow fell upon the shower curtain. Ruby climbed in with him, curling against his body and nuzzling his chest.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

"I'm worried about you...you haven't been yourself lately...what's going on?"

"Nothing," he replied, completely numb, "I'm perfectly fine."

"Please don't lie to me, Alex," she replied, hurt thick and heavy in her voice, enough that it cut him to the bone, "Something's wrong..." she shook her head, "But you won't tell me...why? Have I done something wrong?"

"No," he replied firmly, shaking his head, "No...no...it's not that at all."

"Then what is it? I'm scared, Alex..."

Reluctantly, he decided to admit, "I've just...things have been a little rough for me right now."

"What happened when you freed me?" she asked suddenly, "I've heard bits and pieces...you and Terrias talking about something happening...that I did something wrong...what's going on? I'm lost, I'm scared, and I...please don't lie to me, Alex. You're the only person I trust...please don't shatter that."

Pursing his lips, he finally said, "Freeing you...came at a price. Now don't feel bad...I would do this a hundred times over for you, because I love you, but..." he shook his head, "To spare you, Terrias and I had to trade our own freedom...we were given six months to walk as free men before that time is up."

"What happens when time's up?"

"Terrias and I will go to trial for what we did as Ares and Thanatos," he replied grimly, "Who knows what fate awaits us after that. I'm impatient about stopping this damned book because I..." he sighed, "Because I want to spend as much time with you as I possibly can. There is no telling when, if ever, I'll be able to see you again before we're forced to pay for our crimes."

"Why didn't you tell me?" and she sounded hurt and offended.

"Because I didn't want you to feel guilty...to be worried about this. And don't tell me that you won't, I know you, Ruby."

"So, instead, you decided to keep me in the dark? To keep us _all_ in the dark? Were you _ever_ going to tell us or were we just going to wake up one day to find you gone?" her words were bitter and harsh, with a razor-sharp edge that cut Alex like only she could.

"I was planning on telling you..."

"When!?"

"I...I don't know...but I _was_ planning on telling you...once I figured out how I could."

"Do you not trust me?"

"I do..."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Listen Ruby...goddammit just listen! I know how you are, I didn't want you to blame yourself for this! And I didn't want to come out in ten, fifteen years to find that you submitted to your guilt years ago! It's not that I don't trust you...it's that I love you and I don't want to hurt you. I was going to tell you, I just...I didn't know how."

Ruby frowned then, although she didn't collapse into tears and sobs like she normally would. Instead, her expression was cold, empty, unfeeling...for some reason, this sign was even worse for Alex than to see her reduced to tears. "Alex...I cried all I could when I thought you were dead...now I'm just...I'm numb. Don't lie to me...don't beat around the bush anymore...if there's something that you need to say, then tell me, don't lie to me...that's worse than anything else you could do or say."

"I'm sorry..."

But she said nothing in return, only curled against him, resting calmly. Her heart beat firmly against his, and he gently stroked her silky smooth flesh, working his way to the base of her dorsal fin. She didn't move or respond to this, and further hurting him, she didn't melt into his arms like she normally did...she remained cold and firm, like a corpse.

"I'm sorry..." he said again, "I didn't want to hurt you..."

"When are you leaving?"

"We were given until the New Year."

She only said, voice still cold and unfeeling, "Then I guess we have a key to find and a book to destroy before then," before she climbed out of the bathtub, drying herself off and leaving the room, shutting the door behind her.

Alex only stared after her, hurt at her reaction. When she was upset, she didn't lash out or attack, instead she either collapsed into tears or she erected her defenses and bottled her feelings, and he didn't know how long it would be before he could worm his way back onto her good side.

"Always gotta fuck up something, don't I?" he chuckled grimly, smirking viciously.

 _I've warned you, Ali..._ Zack's disembodied voice spoke, _Every day you become more and more like I was...soon you will have lost_ everything _like I did...if only you would have heeded my warning._

The Commander chose to ignore him, once more relaxing into the tub and closing his eyes, clearing his mind of all thought.

Alex was the first to wake the next morning. The sunlight shining in his eyes, Alex sat up in bed, dressed only in his boxers and an undershirt. Ruby, sharing the bed with him, had retreated into one small sliver of space, her back to him. Normally he would wake to find her body curled around him...she was still angry. Ensuring that no one else was awake, he reached beneath his bed, pulling out a length of rope, tied into a noose. He examined this for a few moments, lightly tracing the knots before climbing out of bed, throwing open the closet door and digging around inside.

He dressed himself, quietly slipping outside into the morning and jogging towards the room where their captive was being held. Disappearing inside, he closed and locked the door behind him, briefly peering out the blinds to ensure he hadn't been followed before startling his prisoner awake with a kick to the boot. Alex cut the man's binds loose, helping him to a stand and taking him towards the door.

"Where are we going?" he asked sleepily.

Alex said nothing, only led him outside into the hall and up several flights of stairs towards the rooftop.

Stepping outside, the priest took several hesitant steps forward, looking around into the clear, morning skies, "We are up here...now what?" he asked, turning to face the Commander.

Before the man had even fully turned around, Alex tore his blade from his waist, grabbed the man's shoulder, and pulled him forward, diving the silver blade deep into the man's gut. He cried out in pain, but the Commander, expressionless, punched him in the cheek, knocking him to the ground. In an instant, Alex was on top of the priest, tearing the rope free from his satchel and wrapping it firmly around the man's neck.

"What's going on? What are you doing!?" but Alex threw him against the side of the roof. The man stumbled, as the Commander quickly tied the other end of the rope to a pipe jutting from the air conditioning unit, and as the man fell back over the ledge of the five story hotel, his exclamation of surprise was abruptly cut short by a dull thud and a disgusting crack. Alex casually strolled over to the edge where the priest had fallen, staring down as the man's corpse hanged loosely in the breeze, occasionally crashing into the side of the building. Face still expressionless, Alex examined his bloody knife, and gently caressing the blade's razor-sharp he swiftly sliced it across his arm, cutting straight through to the bone. The blade clattered to the ground and he exclaimed in shock, immediately grasping the injury, blood swelling from between the fingers of his bionic arm.

Alex finally collapsed in the hall upon which Alpha Company was staying. As soon as he hit the floor, every door in the hall was tossed open and his comrades spilled out around him, helping him to his feet and querying as to his condition. "The priest..." the Commander said weakly, "He broke free, tried to escape, and attacked me."

"Shit!" Spyro hissed, "Where is he now?"

Alex smirked, "Dead...I pushed him off the ledge...hanged him."

"Terrias," the purple dragon said firmly, "See to his injuries, I'm gonna go make sure that cunt is _really_ dead."

The servine only nodded, crouching to Alex's side while the dragon hurried off.


	10. Chapter IX: Last Enemy to Be Destroyed

_**Chapter IX**_ **:**

 **-''The Last Enemy to Be Destroyed''-**

 **-New Alexandria, Montana-**

 **- _08 September 2015_ -**

 **- _1622 Hours_ -**

"This just in," the newswoman began, "The Infinity Killer has struck again. Death has once more visited New Alexandria as yet _another_ man was found brutally murdered in an alley within the Southern Business District. Authorities are still looking for clues as to the killer's identity but as of yet have found no leads. Citizens are advised to make sure that their doors are locked and alarms are on at night and that they obey all curfew laws currently in place."

"Great..." Spyro sighed, handing Alex a cup of tea and sitting beside him, all of Alpha Company was sitting around Suite 1 of Club Camelot, having returned to New Alexandria shortly after the priest's death, "Just what we need, a fuckin' serial killer on the loose."

"They calling it a serial killer now?" Terrias asked, having broken down his SPAS-12 and currently in the process of cleaning its parts, "Wonderful."

"Twelve men, each in their late thirties to early forties, killed about two weeks apart, brutally stabbed in heart with the infinity symbol carved into their chests postmortem...sounds like a serial killer to me," the purple dragon replied, sipping carefully at his freshly brewed drink.

"And here I was thinking that New Alexandria was safe," Alex sighed, "Great."

"Well, one thing's for sure," Cynder replied, "You did good keeping it as safe for as long as you did...most big cities like ours would have relapsed to this years ago."

"Not very reassuring," Alex replied, trying to cuddle on the couch with his delphinic mate, although she was still unresponsive to him.

Cynder only shrugged, "Dunno what to say."

"Anything on that book?" Alex asked Aphrodite, sitting at the kitchen's island and studying the _Libro Morturom_ , occasionally typing frantically into her laptop.

"N-Nothing yet," she replied, "But this i-isn't really my a-area of expertise...I'm a biologist, not an a-archaeologist."

While Alex rinsed the dishes off, sticking them into the dishwasher, Terrias entered the kitchen, nodding towards him, "So what's up between you and Ruby?"

"Nothing really," the Commander replied, "She's just a little upset...she'll get over it."

"What happened?"

"I told her about the deal we made to bust her out of death row."

Terrias smirked, "Why's she so upset then? You saved her life, the least she could do is _thank_ you."

Alex shrugged, turning to face his friend, "I don't know...I stopped trying to figure her out."

The servine only shook his head, "Talk about ungrateful...but at least you _did_ end up telling her the truth...still is so much better than her crawling out of bed one day to find the feds dragging your ass out the door."

"My thoughts exactly...I guess I should have expected such a reaction from her, given how defensive and open about her own secrets she is with me."

"Well, she loves you...you should be glad of that."

"I am, but I wish she would stop getting offended so easily from things. As much as I hate to admit it, Spyro was right, she _is_ the weakest link in our little clique...we need to find something to strengthen her."

"What a helluva way to do so...leaving her here to deal with her worst enemies again while you and I are dodging Bubba in the shower."

"I guess..."

"Don't worry about it, Alex...it'll all be good."

"I'm not worrying about the situation as much as I'm worrying about _her_..."

"That's why you need to make sure that the next few months here with her are very special, that she knows you did this all for her and would do it again. Comfort her, reassure her, etc, etc...hell am I talking about, you know how this whole couple thing works."

Silence fell between them for several moments before Alex timidly asked, "Do you think she'll try to suicide again?"

Terrias looked away, maintaining his silence for several seconds before replying, "I honestly don't know, Alex. I knew she had some...problems...before, but I didn't think she was so bad to go for suicide in the _first_ place."

"Sometimes I wonder if it would be less painful for both of us if we just went our separate ways.. Apparently I'm not the kind of support that she needs to help her through whatever's troubling her."

"You do that and she _won't_ live to see another day," Terrias replied grimly, "She's given her heart to you, and as unhealthy and sick this obsession is...you're going to have to work out a middle ground with her if you want to put some distance between you two."

"But I don't _want_ to put distance between us..." Alex shook his head, "I love her...but this is just...I'm so tired. She stresses me out, I'm constantly worrying about her and her safety and I...it's killing me."

"Tell her this!"

"But I'm afraid I'll only hurt her more...I don't _want_ to hurt her."

"Unfortunately, the only way to fix this dangerous situation is to give her some tough love and force her to make a choice. Does she improve? Or will she continue to wallow in her pit of despair and self-agony, crying for attention and mercy."

"And if he chooses suicide again?"

"Then that's her choice."

"And I live with the guilt for the rest of my life."

"I understand...but you can't keep doing this. She's weakening _you_ as well, and if you two don't figure out a peaceful resolution to all of this, you _both_ won't survive. You two need to be willing to stand firm by yourselves, as individuals, not rely on each other as a crutch."

"So what do I do?"

"Sit down and talk to her, get all of this off your chest and _explain_ to her the problem. Yes it will hurt, yes she'll probably take offense...but she needs to know, and in the long run, she'll be happy that you did. Her problem is her inability to trust others...she's given her heart to you, she's opened up herself to you, something that is out of her comfort zone and dangerous to her...you need to do the same. Keeping secrets, even if you think it will benefit her, will only tear you two apart in the long run, and to put it bluntly, when everything comes crashing down...she _will NOT_ survive. While you still have some stability in this haphazard structure of a relationship, while you still have time to build and rebuild...start getting her ready to think and act independently, there will come a day when you won't be there anymore...she needs to know how to live on her own."

"I'll talk to her then...I just hope she doesn't get _too_ hurt by it."

"Even if she does, she's smart enough to know that you're only bringing this up because you care."

"Ha..." Alex smirked, "Hope so."

As it turned out, he didn't need to say anything. Hiding just outside of the kitchen, unseen by anyone, Ruby listened in on them. As the two friends talked about their private fears and worries, Ruby found herself overcome with guilt at the realization of just how true it all was. In her own selfishness, she _hadn't_ taken into account the strain she was putting on her mate...and she was saddened, but also warmed, by how much he hid his own problems to make hers feel more important, even if his own were far more dangerous than hers.

She frowned as she realized that she had exploded on him for no real reason, and she felt guilty that she had held such a grudge against him, even as he tried to improve her mood. He had sacrificed his freedom so she could live...and she had answered by calling him cruel and heartless. When Terrias left the kitchen, heading to the room he shared with Aria at the far end of the suite's eastern wall, he only pursed his lips towards her, looking at the ground and walking away. Gathering up the courage to confront her mate, she rounded the corner to find Alex sitting at the kitchen island, head in his hands, rubbing his temples.

"Alex..." she began in a small, timid voice.

He only looked up to her, eyes full of sadness and exhaustion, evidencing his lack of sleep and stressful times, before turning his attention back at the table, leaning back in his chair. Ruby took a seat beside him, casting him a sympathetic smile, "I never did get a chance to thank you for saving my life...I owe you a lot."

He shrugged his shoulders, "I just...wasn't expecting...that kind of reaction."

"I know...and I'm sorry..." she embraced him tightly then, burying her head in his shoulder, "I'm so sorry..."

"It's okay, Ruby..." he replied, "I love you."

"I'm sorry for being so weak and pathetic...I don't deserve someone like you."

"I think it's quite the opposite as a matter of fact," he smiled sadly, "How does a fucked up kid like me get such a selfless, beautiful girl like yourself?"

"Maybe it's just your natural charm," she replied, smiling sheepishly and nuzzling him affectionately, "I love you, Alex...more than anything...and I thank you for everything you've done for me. You've been so good to me..."

"I love you, too, Ruby," he replied, "And I would do anything for you...you know that right?"

She nodded.

"Listen...when I'm gone...I want you to promise me something..."

"Sure, anything."

"Take care of yourself. Don't throw all of this away, please don't. I'm not dead, I'll just be...gone for a long time."

"I promise..." she replied, kissing his mouth, "I promise..." and she finally broke the embrace, smiling lovingly towards him...she was crying, "I'll find a way to improve...I swear."

"I know you can do it, Ruby...you can do anything you set your mind to...I've seen it first hand," he smiled, "You survived for seven years and managed to get close to me so you can seduce me, right?" he chuckled.

She nodded, "Yes...and I would do it many times over again if I could."

"Would you really?"

She laughed, a cute, innocent sound, "Yes, I would."

He smirked mischievously, "Prove it..."

Alex and Ruby lay together in the darkness of the Commander's room, locked together in their post-mating embrace. They curled close to one another, tangled together, and they stared lovingly towards each other as their hearts raced against one another. He gently caressed her face, looking into her loving, almost childish blue eyes, and she smiled towards him, kissing him once again,"I love you..." she said.

"I love you, too, Ruby," he replied hugging her tightly, "I always will."

"Forgive me for everything I've done...I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he replied, "I just want you to promise that when they let me out of that hellhole, I'll walk out into the sunshine to see your loving smile and beautiful eyes staring at me. I want you to promise that you will be there so I can run into your arms and cover you in kisses."

She smiled sheepishly, blushing, "I promise."

"Good..." and he pressed himself as close to her belly as he could, relishing in their combined body heat, petting her body as the red glow of sexual arousal slowly faded away. It didn't take long after this before they drifted off to sleep together, and both were welcome by a peaceful, deep, and pleasant sleep where they dreamed, not of hellish memories or festering fears and worries, but of each other, two bodies tangled together on an isolated, sunlit paradise.

Alex and Ruby were the last to awaken he following day, and upon entering Club Camelot from the Commander's room, they found the suite completely empty and devoid of life. Sitting on the kitchen island, scrawled in Terrias' quick chicken scratch, was a note informing them that Alpha Company had left to visit General Elliot, acknowledging that the unit hadn't disturbed the sleeping pair of mates on purpose. Deciding to go visit the bedridden general as well, the Commander climbed into his shower, soon joined by Ruby, and once the two had cleaned themselves and Alex had dressed, they stepped out of the suite into the rotunda, smelling of air freshener. The only sounds in the quiet room were that of a distant television blaring the news, and a muffled vacuum cleaner as the luxurious military club's maids cleaned the building.

Upon stepping out into the sunlight, Alex's phone rang and he took the call. Terrias was on the other line, "Sorry to wake you guys up..."

"Don't worry about it," Alex replied, "We were awake anyway."

"Where are you at?"

"Just leaving Club Camelot, heading to the hospital...why?"

"Get your asses over here ASAP."

"Why?"

"Elliot's on his last breaths."

The duo raced into the hospital's lobby, finding Dash and Zinnia there to greet them. "What the _hell_ is going on?" Alex asked, out of breath.

"Let's go," the Pegasus replied harshly, hurrying into the ICU and towards the room that Elliot lived in now. The sight they were greeted with was heartbreaking and sickening at the same time. The general was unconscious, all of his muscle and fat having burned away to reveal pallid flesh stretched tautly over his skeleton. He had lost all of his hair from the chemotherapy, he was barely recognizable, and he was hooked to various machines.

"He slipped into a coma this morning," Spyro replied, "He hasn't come out of it..." the dragon shook his head, "Don't think he'll be able to this time."

"Jesus..."

"Cancer's a bitch..." Terrias replied, standing over the general, furry palm placed against the frail man's chest. Blue sparks of healing danced across Elliot's body, "Wish there was something we could do to help him...all we can do is relieve his suffering as much as we can."

"Unfortunately, there are some wounds we just _can't_ heal," Cynder frowned, "I feel so bad for him."

Alex felt Ruby place a fin on his shoulder...she was trembling and scared. The Commander himself felt nothing, numb, as he always did whenever one of his closest friends passed away. What sickened him the most, and infuriated him, was that Elliot's life was finally going to be claimed by the beast called cancer. He wasn't going to die valiantly in battle, clubbing enemy skulls and taking everyone down with him that he could...he was going to die by a cluster of out-of-control cells in his lungs, under attack by his own body.

Terrias said what Alex felt, "The world's a twisted son of a bitch, ain't it? Can't even let a war hero die in battle...fucking hell."

"How are we so sure it's his time?" Alex replied, "He could still come out of it..."

Everyone in the room shook their heads.

"Why?" Alex snarled, bitter and angry, "Gonna write him off, just like that? You _know_ him! He's a fighter!"

"Alex..." Terrias replied, placing a calming hand on his friend's shoulder, "He's not gonna make it."

Alex violently shook him off, "How can you be so sure?"

"His body evacuated an hour ago," Spyro replied coldly.

...And a dangerous silence fell over the room once again. The Commander was trembling in anger, and he carefully took a seat in the chair against the wall, Ruby sitting beside him and curling up close, attempting to calm him with her presence.

"So what do we do?" Alex asked, and when no one answered, "WHAT THE _FUCK_ DO WE DO!?"

"There's nothing we _can_ do," Spyro replied, "Except let a hero sleep in peace."

General Robert Elias Elliot's life finally slipped away an hour later.

Although Alex could remember details of the deaths of everyone he knew and loved, few stood out so clearly in his memory as Elliot's did. It was a beautiful, sunlit day outside, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the world was alive with the music of nature. The air in Elliot's room was noticeably warm and comfortable, peace had settled over the world, even if just for a little while.

Although Elliot shared no rank in Alpha Company, the unit still brought his body to the Burned Lands north of the city and gave him an Alpha Company burial. His body was laid to rest on a pyre of straw and logs, and with a brief eulogy by Rapid, it was set alight. The unit stayed with their friend and ally until the fired faded into oblivion, and his ashes were blown away in the warm, summer breeze. A special plot was reserved for the general in the section of the cemetery cordoned off solely to Alpha Company members, and a memorial was erected just outside, to depict the general looking out over the town he helped protect, ready to take on any foes that would oppose them in spirit. Shortly after the funeral, General Erik Heinrich, Elliot's successor, informed them that the federal government was planning their _own_ funeral for the general in Arlington National Cemetery, and that Alpha Company had been invited to attend, with Alex asked by the agency to give a eulogy for the fallen war hero. The Commander was also started with the news that, because Elliot had no living relatives, the general referred to him as a son, and the will said that Alex and Alpha Company were entitled to inherit his estate.

That night, they were handed the keys to Elliot's Tuscan-style, 7,500 square foot mansion just outside of the residential district, a sprawling, six acre, walled villa that was dotted with trees. The land also had a private lake outfitted with a dock, connecting to the river that encircled the 'Inner City' and often used as a fishing retreat for the general, and various other luxuries, including a rarely-used yacht that was coated in a thick layer of dust. It was the first time they had ever seen the estate, and Alex was surprised to find that the main building held enough rooms to sleep everyone in Alpha Company and more, with the added bonus of feeling almost isolated and private.

"Jesus...Elliot's got some nice digs..." Terrias said, shaking his head, "And it's ours?"

Alex nodded, "Yep..."

"Guess we're moving out of Club Camelot then?"

The Commander nodded once more, "If we want."

"I say go for it," Spyro replied, "This place is massive...plus I've seen the level of security he had around the place...we'll be safe here."

Although the manor was designed to be highly luxurious, more so than Club Camelot, it was still designed with a subtle, cozy, almost farmhouse-like feel, not nearly as _grandiose_ as they would have expected.

"So..." Alex began, "What do you guys think...should we stay in Club Camelot or move here?"

The vote to move was nearly unanimous, and while Heinrich prepared everything needed to move, Alpha Company split up, losing themselves in the expansive property to find their rooms. Naturally, Alex staked his claim with the master bedroom on the third floor, outfitted with a large balcony overlooking a gorgeous view of the property and the city, close enough to still give them easy access to its resources, but far enough to give them the feeling of solitude and privacy. It had a king-sized bed, a far cry from the full sized one Alex had in Suite 1, a personal fireplace, and even an indoor hot tub, large enough to comfortably house several people, or just Alex and Ruby if they wanted some alone time together. The dolphin also chose to reside here, happy to be move indoors, since she had been residing in the swimming pool on Club Camelot's penthouse floor's west balcony, and Alex began making plans to overhaul the Tuscan décor for a more Victorian style, something he had always favored but, for whatever reason, hadn't tried to do with his room in Club Camelot.

For now, he stepped out onto the balcony, peering out over the sprawling landscape, watching as the sun sun settled beneath the treeline. Up ahead and to his left he could see the city, illuminated and bustling with life. The only downside to his new home was that his room faced south, so he could no longer see the smoldering remains of the _Fiernes Curtain_. Somehow though, he wasn't bothered by this, and he smiled, for once, it seemed that things were looking up for them.

Then memory of his and Terrias' imminent trial returned, and his heart sank once more. The day they were dreading was fast approaching, and Alex knew that there was no way he could escape his fate. His thoughts were calmed, however, by Ruby standing beside him, leaning against his body, hers hot and soft to the touch, and he hugged her. "It will feel lonely and empty without you..."

"Don't write me off just yet, Ruby...we still have a few months together."

She frowned, "I know but..."

He kissed her, interrupting her speech, "Don't worry...let's just enjoy this time together while we still can..." and he disappeared back into the house, Ruby trotting along behind him.


	11. Chapter X: Happy Hour

_**Chapter X**_ **:**

 **-''Happy Hour''-**

 **-Above Vermilion, Illinois-**

 **- _11 September 2015_ -**

 **- _1019 Hours_ -**

Alex said and felt nothing as they soared through the skies above Vermilion, heading to his parents' house. Not only was he still numb from Elliot's passing, but his father's invitation to return home for his birthday had both surprised and concerned him. His mother had all but disowned him following the reveal of his bestial attractions, and now that his longtime _fiance_ had left him and _all_ he had left were his mates...he was walking into the lion's den.

Ruby, sensing her mate's distress, tried to comfort him, but he merely shrugged her off, only wanting to be left alone. Cynder, knowing very well his stance on this whole trip, cast him a sad smile and tried to telepathically cheer him up, but he ignored _her_ as well, severing the mental contact. He had to brace himself for everything that was going to be said once he walked through that door. Maybe in the time since he had gone missing and had been presumed killed, his parents had softened up a bit, but his mother tended to be wrathful and hold grudges if she felt betrayed. Even though Alex's mates were not intended to betray her, she felt offended nevertheless, taking his relationship with them as a sign of defiance. Regardless, he had no desire to leave either of them, especially Ruby.

Zinnia, too, tagged along, and Alex hoped that she could help balance things out between everybody. Although the likely chance was that, if his mother _was_ in a friendly mood, she'd try to match Alex and her together...despite the fact that Zinnia herself was bestial and probably showed as much of an interest in other human beings as the Commander did. Finally, he spoke, "So, how much you wanna bet that mom tries to get me and Zinnia to hook up?"

The girl started in surprise, turning to face Alex, "Why do you think that?"

"Cause she probably will," Piermont replied bitterly, "She's a cunt like that...completely disregards Cyn, Dash, and Rubes."

"Why?"

"Because they're 'animals' and in capable of feeling love or attraction," Alex snarled, "And I'm a great big pervert because I prefer them over other people."

Ruby suddenly suggested, "Alex, why _don't_ you and Zinnia pretend to be a couple? If your mom knows you're with her and thinks you two are happier together than you are with us...maybe it can finally settle the feud?"

"She's actually got a good idea, Alex," Dash replied, "Nice thinking Ruby."

"Maybe I don't _want_ to settle everything? I'm perfectly happy with you guys."

"C'mon!" Dash laughed, "Please, Zinnia?"

"What would we even do?"

"Simple," Ruby began, "Just give him the puppy-eyed look every once in awhile, kiss him, hug him...little things."

"Why would I want to patch things up with her? If she won't accept me for who I am, then why bother pretend to be something I'm not just to make her happy. Fuck that idea, and fuck _her_."

"Please, Alex?" Dash asked, and Ruby seemed to feel similarly, "At the very least try? Despite everything, she's still your mom."

Silence fell between them for several seconds before Alex finally submitted, "Fine..."

Although she was careful not to show it, Zinnia couldn't help but to feel excited at the chance. She still hated herself for choosing to leave him all those years ago, but she was startled from her thoughts by Piermont's accusing stare, and she abruptly looked away. _You two have done shit, haven't you?_ the dragon accused.

 _What? I don't know what you're talking about._

 _Bullshit...I didn't see it before because yours and Alex's auras are_ exactly _the same color...but how you looked at him just now...you two have fucked haven't you._

 _No! Of course no._

 _Don't lie to me, mate. I can see right through your fucking lies._

 _Even if we did, it's not important anyway. That's not the point._

 _When did you do it?  
_

 _What?_

 _You heard me!_

Scowling, Zinnia replied, _It was a long time ago...when we were still in the Regions fighting the LKA. We were both curious what it was like and didn't know whether or not animal lovers like us could enjoy it so we...yeah. There wasn't supposed to be any attachment or love in it but..._

 _So_ that's _why you came back?_

Silence.

 _Well unfortunately, you're too little too late, hon. His boner's for that goddamn fish now._

 _I know,_ Zinnia snapped, silencing the dragon, _I fucking know, all right? Just drop the subject already now, please and thank you._

Upon their arrival, Alex's father opened the door, greeting them and stepping aside to allow them entry. "Glad to see you alive, Alex," his father began, hugging him, the Commander stiffened beneath the contact, "We thought you were dead."

"Yes...but did you really care?" his words were barbed, and although his father briefly seemed hurt by this, one quick exchange of glances with his wife told the Commander everything he needed to know.

Changing the subject, his father nodded towards Zinnia, asking, "Who are you, miss?"

The Commander was caught off guard when the girl threw an arm around his waist, pulling them close and kissing him on the cheek, "Zinnia Dubois," she nodded towards Alex, "We've been together now for almost two months."

"He cheating on you, too?" Alex mother asked cynically, to which Dash, Ruby, and Cynder all responded in the negative.

"I messed up with Sarah," Alex began, "I'm not gonna make that same mistake again..." and a wink of approval from Ruby told him that he had spoken correctly. Even the Commander's mother was surprised by this, and he could have sworn he saw a faint smile on her lips.

Alpha Company sat around the living room, chatting among themselves, save for Rapid, who sat at the Vaughn family's piano, jollily playing Scott Joplin's various ragtime pieces. Due to his absence on his twenty-first birthday, Alex's father was intending to take the Commander down to the bar and buy him his first drink, so he was getting ready to leave. With no one paying attention to him, the Commander decided he wanted to exchange a few private words with Zinnia. The girl was in the bathroom, taking a shower, and lightly knocking on the door, identifying himself, she allowed him in.

Closing and locking the door behind him, Alex said in a low voice, "Zinnia...do you think we can talk?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"Can we talk about what happened that night in the Regions?"

A different aura settled over the room, and at first, Alex worried that it wasn't the best thing to bring up. After all, she had said that it was to be a one night event only, and simply as friends with no romance tethered to it. However, her response surprised him, "I'm sorry...I made a mistake."

"Oh..." Alex's heart sank, "I didn't mean to bring it up, I..."

"No...it's not that," and she poked her head through the curtain, "I shouldn't have left...I should have taken your offer."

"After you left, I was kicking myself for turning you away. I guess I was just scared of becoming too close to someone. You know that things were rough for me in the LKA...us child soldiers were often abused, tortured, and in some cases...molested."

"You were molested?"

She sadly shook her head, smirking, "The commanding officers called it 'inspection', they line all of us girls up in the middle of the room and make us take off our clothes, then they would 'examine' us. 'No-Tongue' may have been a monster, but he saved me. One day he walked in on one of the inspections, he slaughtered our abusers and brought all of us back to his base."

"So where did the animal thing come from?"

"I haven't done that for a long, long time...the last time was the night you left me, Emma was receptive and I..." she fell silent, "It doesn't matter."

"How did you find out?"

"When I was still with our molesters, while training out in the forest one day, I found a little wolf cub. I adopted it, raised it to adulthood...The day after 'No-Tongue' saved us, I was alone in my room and I...started touching myself. He came over, he sniffed and started to lick me...and he tried to mount. I let him, and I found I enjoyed it...the penetration felt...wonderful. It felt wrong, but it also felt very good, so I kept doing it. After spending the night with you, I went back home to find that he had died while I was away...he had escaped my house into the forest, and a hunter stumbled upon him and shot him...that was I spent the night with Emma, that and to see if I could relive the pleasure I felt the night I spent with you...it was different, unique, but more intense than any of my sessions with Zeus. When it didn't work, I moved on."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

She shrugged, "That's not the point, however...what did you want to talk about."

"Why did you try it anyway? I know what you said, to see if animal lovers like us were capable of feeling normal attractions but...there's more to the story, isn't there?"

She smiled sheepishly, giggling, "I like you, yes, if that's what you're asking."

"Is that way you were so quick to jump on board the 'you and me as a couple' thing?"

She blushed, "Nah..." but it was obviously forced.

He decided not to push it, "So you regretted turning down my offer, huh?"

She instead asked, "I know things are rough right now...but if you would give me a chance..."

"Huh?"

"Is there still a chance for us to get together? I know you have Ruby but...I'm willing to let you keep her, if you'd just give me a chance."

"Like...a girlfriend?"

She nodded, "Yes...I've been kicking myself for letting you go when I did...I want to make it up to you."

Alex was torn, he had hurt for years after losing Zinnia that day, but at the same time, he had just lost his _fiance_ , was dedicated to Ruby, and didn't want to risk his zoophilic and polygamous lifestyle to destroy yet _another_ personal relationship. "I...I can't," he replied, vigorously shaking his head, "It's...it's still too soon after Sarah, and I don't want to risk ruining more relationships because I'm juggling multiple women again."

She only frowned, retreating into the tub again, and in a saddened voice, "I understand...just know that I'm here if you decide to change your mind...I'm not leaving this time."

"Maybe someday...but not today."

"I understand, I'm sorry..."

"Don't be...we're leaving soon, just so you know," and after several minutes without a response from her, he left, slipping back into the living room, unnoticed by all but Ruby.

She smiled towards him, but after he didn't return it, her expression diminished into one of worry, and she timidly prodded his mind, speaking telepathically to him, _What's wrong? Is everything okay?_

He nodded, _It's just Zinnia..._

 _What happened?_

 _She_ actually _likes me and wants to start a relationship. She regrets leaving me all those years ago, I guess..._ then, _When we were kids, she..._

 _I know,_ Ruby interrupted, _She told me..._

 _Anyway, she wants to try and get back together._

 _What did you say?_

 _I turned her down._

 _What?Why?_

 _Because it's still so recent after Sarah...plus there's the fact that Terrias and I got jail time coming up, and I don't wanna risk offending you_ or _her trying to juggle you both. Yeah she said I could keep you but..._ he sighed, _I just...I don't know._

 _I have Sapphire, so I won't be offended, I'm guilty of it, too._

 _Still, I don't want to take the chance, I fucked up juggling multiple mates with Sarah, I ain't gonna do it again._

Ruby giggled, walking over to him and whispering, "Give me five minutes with her, and I guarantee she won't mind sharing you with me. Heck, once I'm done, I bet she'd be willing to join us sometimes," and the dolphin winked.

Alex only shook his head, "I'm not going to do it again."

"Even though she's there now? You still care for her, and don't lie because I know it. She claimed your virginity...you two have a special thing going on, and now that you're single again, you have a chance to start anew, with someone you've liked for years. Are you afraid she'll hurt you again?"

"No, but I know where I fucked everything up, and I don't wanna do that again. It's not fair to her, it's not fair to _you_."

"Alex, neither of us care...I don't because regardless of what you say and think you are, you're still human. You're programmed to find a mate that's capable of reproducing...something I can't in this stupid body," she frowned, "She, on the other hand, regrets what happened all those years ago and wants to make things right. That's why she joined us originally, she was hoping you were still around and wanted to try and court you."

"I'm just not ready, Ruby. Okay? I'm not ready to get back into something like that."

Ruby's heart sank, "So what if I was human then? Why don't the rules apply to me? Would you still be afraid to get into a committed relationship if I was human? What makes me so different?"

"Because regardless of what _you_ may think, _you're_ still a dolphin, and polygamy is something that's common in your species."

Ruby frowned, calmly snapping back, "You of all people should know I'm not like the others. I care more about you than I care about anyone else, and I'm more-or-less monogamous when it comes to relationships. In fact, I actually _love_ you, I'm not just seeking to exploit you for sexual pleasure like others of my kind would do."

"And I'm not like other humans...that's why we get along so well, and why things wouldn't work out with Zinnia. They'd fall apart over time and I'd be dealing with the same shit I did after Sarah left."

"Not if you actually pay attention to Zinnia and take care of her. Sarah left because you were never there for her, and she felt like you didn't need her because every year you acquire a new mate to add to your harem. If you and Zinnia become a couple, I will happily back off to let you two have your space."

"No, because I want _you_ , no offense, but she had her chance."

"She said you could keep me..."

"I know."

"Plus, she's bestial, and Emma is a girl dragon..."

"I know."

"What if I go in there and she finds she likes me, too. Then we could all be one great big, happy family."

"Good luck."

Ruby smirked, "You'll see," and she hurried off.

"Wait...you're not being serious are you?" Alex chased after her.

"Just give me a few minutes."

"How is this gonna help anything!?"

"If she's receptive and she finds that she likes me, all your stresses will be gone and then you two can get together and it'll be happily ever after."

"Why are you so adamant to hook us up?"

"Because you two are a lot alike, and would make a cute couple..." then she lightly rapped on the door, "I'll be right back," before disappearing inside.

Alex only shook his head, walking back into the living room and collapsing onto the couch, rubbing his temples. He reached into his pocket, downing several ibuprofen to stave off his incoming migraine.

Several minutes later, Ruby and Zinnia emerged together from the hallway, the latter clothed and working on her hair. Ruby took a seat beside Alex, curling against him and wearing a big grin. "How'd it go?" the Commander asked his delphinic mate.

"Well, I'm relieved now."

"She actually went for it..."

"Didn't take much convincing," Ruby giggled, "She's good, _really_ good, and I don't think you'll have any problem taking care of both of us."

Alex stood up, walking back to the bathroom where Zinnia was currently ironing her long, elbow-length hair, "You and Ruby didn't actually..."

The girl blushed, "I wasn't sure how it would be but...it was quite enjoyable. It was almost like things were with Emma, only Ruby is a lot softer, gentler, and a little squeakier...Alex, I understand you love Ruby, and I understand that you're worried you'll lose one or both of us if you and I got together but...I promise you that won't be the case. Just give me a chance."

"I'll think about it," Alex replied, and he was surprised when she walked over to him, kissing him lightly on the mouth and looking into his eyes.

She said, "I really am sorry for what happened back then...if I could change it, I would."

From the living room, they could hear Alex's dad call, "Everyone ready to go?"

Alex once more turned to face Zinnia, who smiled sadly towards him, "I'll be here if you need me...I'm not leaving again. Just...if you decide on something, please let me know. That is all I ask."

Alex said nothing, only nodded and headed back to the living room.

Upon entering the bar, all eyes were on Alpha Company. The Commander chose to ignore them, he and his unit were no strangers to scrutiny, and they took their seats at a group of booths in a corner. Terrias and Aria soon let to play billiards, and Alex took this opportunity to examine the crowd. Even though it was in the middle of the week, there were still a lot of patrons this evening, conversing with each other, occasionally sending peculiar glances towards the animalian Alpha Company.

By the time an hour had passed, the Commander was already borderline drunk, and he found himself a lot friendlier and more talkative than normal. Usually, when he would spend nights in one of New Alexandria's various bars throughout the Second Civil War, he would become increasingly violent and reclusive until he was so soused that he had to rely on the _Nighthawks_ to get him safely back home, but with little to stress about at this time, a mind numbed by Elliot's passing, surrounded by his loved ones, and the bar's patrons much more friendly _anyway_ , he found it easy to open up to people. 

Amusingly enough, he had even gathered a small crowd of people which he entertained with various wartime anecdotes and stories. Pretty soon, Alpha Company had _also_ loosened up, and were now doing various activities around the small, family-owned bar. After he had finished another one of his tales, the Commander, downing another shot, strolled over to where Terrias stood, setting up a new round of billiards. "Ready to get your ass kicked?" the servine grinned, sipping from his third bottle of beer.

"Fuck you," the Commander replied with a wide grin, dusting up his cue and preparing to take the first shot, during which he managed to sink two stripes. The servine lined up his own shot, sinking two solids.

"So," Alex's father began, sitting across from Ruby, "Alex and that girl aren't actually together, are they?"

The dolphin frowned, "Was it that obvious?"

"Well...I can see the sparkle in his eyes when he's around you. I don't understand it, don't understand what he sees in animals but...I can tell that his heart _really_ lies with you."

"Zinnia...she likes him, but after everything fell apart with Sarah...he's kinda shut everybody out except for me...don't really understand why."

"Probably because you were the only one who actually had faith in him to get out of this, even when it seemed a fact that he was gone."

"I guess..." Ruby sighed, "I wish I could become human...maybe people would accept me then. I just wish we could get married and have little babies..."

"Don't worry about what anyone else thinks, as long as you two are happy, who cares what anyone else thinks about it. Do I find it strange that he's sexually involved with a dolphin? Obviously, but at the same time, I can see that he really does love and care for you."

Suddenly, on the radio, the Gorillaz's _On Melancholy Hill_ began to play, and Alex quickly scampered up to the karaoke stage. Fully drunk, barely able to stand on his own, Alex pointed towards his delphinic mate, wearing a toothy smile and calling, "Ruby, this is for you..." he began to sing along, managing to warp his voice to sound like the band's singer's, and even while intoxicated, he managed to recite the words perfectly and stay in tune.

Ruby, blushing heavily, was both touched and embarrassed by Alex's sudden and public display of affection, but her eyes were sparkling as he sang _to her_ , and she couldn't help but to smile shyly. She slowly and carefully made her way to the front of the crowd, sitting beside the stage, speechless.

In the back of the building, Alex's father sat at the booth, smiling widely and recording the performance on his phone. Truly, there was nobody in the world that was as important to the young Commander as Ruby, and even though the aging father still couldn't understand why the young man was so attracted to the dolphin, it was obvious that there was a certain chemistry between them, and they _did_ make a cute couple, the species difference considering.

Once the song had finished, Alex approached the dolphin, hugging her tightly and whispering, "I love you, Ruby."

By the time everyone they had gone home that night, everyone else in the house had long since gone to sleep. On the verge of passing out, Alex collapsed onto the couch, Ruby climbing onto him. "So," the Commander began with a toothy grin, "Where's my birthday present?"

The dolphin smiled back, "You'll get it when we go back to New Alexandria," and giggling, she kissed him before clambering off.

"Aww...why you tease?" Alex chuckled.

"Goodnight, love," she replied, "I'll see you in the morning."

"Hey..." Alex called over to her, "Ruby? Will you marry me?"

The dolphin stiffened, legitimately caught off guard by his request. Although he was drunk and likely wasn't in control of any of his actions, the fact that those words came out of his mouth still surprised her, and she felt a surge of heat rocketing through her body, settling in her loins. Turning to face him, she smiled lovingly and replied, "Of course I will," before slowly walking away, "Goodnight, Alex, I love you."


	12. Chapter XI: Charity

_**Chapter XI**_ **:**

 **-''Charity''-**

 **-Vermilion, Illinois-**

 **- _13 September 2015_ -**

 **- _0131 Hours_ -**

Nothing else mattered in the world as Alex and Ruby lay on the floor of the bathtub, tangled together, orally pleasuring one another, her favorite thing to do. Alex's administrations quickly brought his mate to a powerful climax, accompanied with her usual, light, uncontrollable squeaks of pleasure, and soon, her own experienced tongue brought him to his own. In the aftermath of their session, they lay still together, pressed tightly together, Alex gently singing that song to her once again.

Truly, there was no greater feeling in the world than the close intimacy of his soul mate, and looking into Ruby's beautiful, innocent blue eyes, he could tell that it was much the same way with her. There was such emotion and love in her eyes that he once more knew he didn't want to leave her, and his heart sank at the realization that there would come a time where he wouldn't wake up to find her laying beside him...that he wouldn't have a chance to look into her captivating eyes, where her soul shined brilliantly through.

Only he was capable of washing away her fears and pain, making it even harder for him to accept the imminence of his incarceration, and quite possibly execution. Still, he felt sure, knowing that he would do this again for her if he could. He loved her, and it scared him with just how much she unintentionally melted his defenses away...he didn't want to lose her...he _couldn't_ lose her.

"Ruby..." he began, voice small and childlike.

"Alex..." she replied, smiling sheepishly and blushing, her body growing increasingly warm at the mention of her lover's name.

"Do you love me? I love you..."

She smiled widely, embracing him tightly, both relishing in the contact, "Of course I love you...I'm your Ruby..."

"You're my little gemstone..."

She whistled in elation and climbed on top of him, resting her head against his chest and hugging him, closing her eyes. She felt such an overwhelming love for him, but she didn't know how she could describe it to him, all she knew was that she wanted to stay here with him, she never wanted to leave his side, and she even briefly considered finding someway to allow herself to be arrested, just so she could be there for him through it all. Even if she was attacked, berated, and even _raped_ by the others...as long as she was there with him, it would almost be worth it.

Alex's eyes slowly opened and instantly he was on alert. Sitting up, he looked around him, finding that he was no longer in his bed. Instead, he was laying on the floor of an unknown forest, and he was soon on his feet. "Ruby!?" he exclaimed in shock, frantically looking around him. Cupping his mouth he called out into the darkness, " _RUBY!_ "

Her response was distant, as if far away, " _Alex!?_ Alex, where are you!?"

"Hold on, Ruby!" he exclaimed, "I'm coming just...keep talking!"

When he finally the dolphin, standing in the middle of a glen, he found the rest of Alpha Company there and waiting for him. "Guys," the Commander began, "Where the hell are we!?"

"Not sure," Cynder began, "But at least they remembered your clothes..."

Alex glanced down at himself, surprising to find that he was clad in Messorem's ancient, charred armor. A loud, distant explosion startled them all, and exchanging nervous glances, they quickly ran towards the source of the sound, navigating up an alarmingly steep, thickly forested hill. The Commander could faintly hear the drone of tanks, and his heart sank at the overwhelming familiarity of it all...he felt a sickening sense of _d_ _é_ _j_ _à_ _vu_.

As they neared the top of the hill, some of the heavy forestation gave way to smoky, pitch black skies, and that overwhelming familiarity intensified, causing his stomach to lurch...he had a _very_ bad feeling about this. As they finally reached the crown of the hill, Alex's eyes widened in fright and his jaw dropped...laid out before him was Charity Hill. Instantly, flashbacks of the grisly battle surged through his brain, and he doubled over with an exclamation of pain.

"Alex!" Ruby called, running to him as his legs gave out.

"No..." he began, "No, no, _NO!_ "

"Alex, what's going on!?" Cynder exclaimed, trying to help Ruby support him.

"This...this isn't real...this _can't_ be real!"

"Where are we!?" Dash hissed, "Do you _know_ where we are?"

Grimly, the Commander replied through clenched teeth, "Charity Hill, circa 1997..."

"Wait..." Spyro began, "You mean like Zack's Charity Hill?"

Alex nodded soberly, "This...this can't be happening..."

"How the _hell_ did we get here!?"

"I DON'T KNOW, SPYRO!" Alex snarled, then attempting to calm himself, "I...I don't know...but we need to get out of here..."

The Commander was then hit with a strange compulsion...his eyes turned to face the distant fortress, the one that he and Zack Dawson, when they were still part of the two-man kill team known as the Devil's Hands or _Devha_ , tried and failed to take from the Green Army.

"Over there..." the Commander began in a trance-like voice, pointing towards the dark, looming fortress, "That castle...we need to get over there."

"He's right," Dash began in a confused, frightened tone, "I have a feeling that whatever we're here for...it's in that castle..." then shaking her head and snapping out of the trance, she nodded towards the Commander, "Hop on, let's head down there!"

 _The key!_ Necrodusk suddenly exclaims, _We're here because of the key!_

"What the hell are you talking about, Necro?" Alex asked, " _What_ key?"

 _The_ Sigil of the Bound _, I can sense its energy...it's here! It's calling us!_

"Fucking hell..."

"What's wrong?" Terrias asked.

Alex turned to face his companions, frowning in disgust, "Looks like the key to opened that damned book is here...and we need to find it."

"MOVE!" a Green Army soldier roared, "We need to keep them from breaching the perimeter!" and they raced towards the quickly approaching Tans, beginning their descent down the hill. Before they even knew what hit them, a blindingly hot fireball surged past them, wiping out the entire fire team. Through the flames, a young boy, cold blue eyes fixed forward with homicidal intent, baring his teeth in disgust, swiftly cut down anyone who stood in his way.

"Ali!" his much older friend called to him, "I'll find a way to flank them, you got this okay?"

Smiling dangerously, the boy replied, "You go, Zack...they won't stand a chance against me!"

While Zack raced ahead, sneaking through debris towards somewhere ahead, the young Alex Vaughn continued his steady approach to the distant castle, their objective. While Green soldiers surrounded him, the boy only smiled as he took advantage of their reluctance to fire upon a young boy. He mercilessly cut them down, feeling nothing but hatred towards these creatures. Smoke grenades exploded around him, he shielded his eyes against the acrid smoke, and he was reduced to coughs as masked soldiers surrounded him. Before they had a chance to attack, however, another blast of fire wiped them out and a menacing knight on horseback emerged through the fog, a bottlenose dolphin beside him...

As Alex and party made their way down the hill, a blast of fire caught the Commander's eye, and he abruptly turned to see his younger self brutally slaughtering a group of encircling green soldiers. " _Shit_!" he hissed, beckoning Dash to head towards the child. The rest of Alpha Company followed along behind him, and when smoke grenades exploded around the boy, obscuring the Commander's view of him, Alex angrily called for Dash to move faster. As soon as they arrived at the smoke cloud, Alex could see the Green special forces surrounding the boy, preparing to shoot. "DIE YOU SONS OF BITCHES!" he roared, using his own pyrokinesis to swiftly and gruesomely slaughter them.

As they traveled through the cloud, shielding their faces against the smoke, the young boy came into view, down on the ground, coughing violently. Old, long-forgotten memories awoke, and Alex's eyes widened with dawning realization as he _remembered_ this! He remembered during the attack on Charity Hill, when all seemed like he had finally lost, a mysterious horsemen and his animalian friends arrived on scene to save his life...so, much like Zack taking his old school hostage, this battle was _also_ in their native timeline...

Ruby leaped to attack the helpless boy, and Alex screamed, "Ruby! _STOP!_ Have you lost your fucking mind!?"

Before he's even aware of what's happening, the young General Vaughn is on his feet again, dagger in hand, and launching towards his saviors. Terrias instantly appears between the Commander and his would-be assailant, swiftly knocking the boy to the ground and drawing his ruby-bladed sword, preparing to strike.

"Terrias!" Alex roared, "Stand down!"

Hesitantly, the servine sheathes his sword, turning to face Alex, snarling in disgust. Tiberius and Athena exchange glances, with the female _deinonychus_ turning to face the young man, "What do we do, Commander?"

Alex nodded towards the castle, "Continue the search for the key, leave him alone..." the Commander pointed accusingly towards his younger self, "You! Leave here!" as the _Devha_ soldier runs off, Alex rears Dash to face the looming fortress, "Don't let _anyone_ stand in your way! These guys cannot hurt us! Keep moving towards the fortress and _don't_ stop for _anything_! Let's move!"

"Should we kill them anyway, just to be safe?" Sapphire asks.

"This isn't our war," Alex growled, "We're here to get that goddamn key, not anything else!"

Tiberius emitted a low growl, baring his teeth towards the Commander, who merely shook his head.

Several minutes later, they finally neared the fortress, Alex ordering his unit to spread out and try to flank any enemies in the area while he and Dash searched for a place to enter. They finally found a side door, connected to a loading zone, and once the rest of Alpha Company had regrouped on him, they moved towards the door, ready to kill anything that got in the way. Alex and Terrias took up breaching points to either side of the door, and with a firm nod between them, the Commander swiftly kicked down the door, creeping inside and killing Green soldiers with a silenced MP40 he had looted off of a Tan corpse. Terrias was just behind him, also armed with a silenced MP40, and cut down anyone Alex missed.

"Spread out," the Commander replied firmly, "It's around here somewhere..." then he thought, _Necro...any tips?_

 _It's here...I just don't know where...this place is saturated in its macabre energy._

 _How the_ fuck _did it get here?_

 _It is hard telling,_ Necrodusk replied, _Natural physics don't apply to such an evil artifact._

 _Wonderful..._

 _Wait..._ the demon suddenly started, _Be careful...there's something else here as well...a powerful entity, not angelic, but not necessarily demonic either...perhaps the key has a guardian?_

 _Great...just what we need, some OP'd as hell motherfucker to fight._

 _Not necessarily, just be careful._

Nearing the the fortress' command center, Alex charged downstairs, shooting his weapon at the fleeing scientists and roaring, "WHERE'S THE FUCKING KEY!"

When no one responded, the Commander, with an inhuman howl, tackled a fleeing scientist to the ground and jammed the barrel of his weapon into the frightened man's face.

"WHERE IS IT!?"

"I-I-I don't know w-what you're talking about!"

"DON'T FUCK WITH ME!" Alex roared, firing a short burst to either side of the terrified man's head, before jamming the barrel back into the scientist's forehead, "WHERE'S THE GODDAMN KEY!"

"W-What key?"

"Bastard!" the Commander snarled, executing him and righting himself, "Someone _better_ fuckin' tell me where it is!"

Terrias crept quietly through the ammunitions depot, sneaking past alerted squads fleeing towards the command center. He listened in on the base's radio chatter, hearing that someone had busted into war room and was shooting up the place with puzzled questions to the man's identity or alignment, seeing as he didn't seem to be part of the Tan forces and was shouting about some kind of 'key'. The servine could barely contain a smirk, Alex sure knew how to rile people up.

Once the room had emptied, Terrias crept out of the shadows and sprinted across the open room to the other side, heading to another storage room adjacent to this warehouse. Checking to make sure no one was around, he slipped into the enveloping darkness, the room illuminated only by a single row of fluorescent lights lining the center of the ceiling. This darkness and clutter provided the perfect cover for an ambush, so the servine remained on his guard...until something caught his eye.

At first he was confused, he felt _drawn_ to the center of the room, and navigating through the labyrinth of storage crates, he paused in front of a small box resting atop a crate of ammunition. Using the butt of his weapon, he busted through the lid of the crate, digging through straw and pulling out an eerie black box, appearing ancient and inlaid with unknown runes. As he traced the runes, flashbacks surged through his mind and he collapsed to the ground with a grunt of pain, grabbing onto his head. Memories of incarceration, of hellfire, of a hellish coliseum...memories of an arrogant arena master who oversaw violent fighting and tortured those who lost. When he was brought back to reality, his ears rang with tinnitus, he could almost hear the ritualistic drums that had constantly bellowed throughout the _Devil's Arena_ , and his vision blurred, the runes almost seeming to glow...he remembered them...he had seen them in the _Devil's Arena_. The scar across his belly and the diagonal scars across both his back and chest burned and itched fiercely, and he pried open the ancient box, revealing what lay inside. Sitting in a bed of dark red velvet lay an obsidian medallion, inlaid with more runes. However, these runes glowed, as if lava ran throughout them...and he fingered the item, icy cold to the touch, like that of a corpse.

His skin crawled, hot, arid, musty temperature of the room suddenly dropped to freezer-like cold, so much so that he could see his breath, the fur across his body stood on end as if he had been exposed to electricity, and a sinister, airy voice spoke from behind him, "I must commend you for the help, lizard. I never would have found it without you," followed by a grisly corpse-like rattle of omnipresent laughter. Before the servine even had a chance to turn and face his visitor, he was effortlessly thrown to the side, knocked unconscious.

 _Any luck?_ Alex called out telepathically to his comrades. The Commander himself had made his way to the labs within the bowels of the facility and was tearing them apart in search of the sigil. One-by-one, his companions answered in the negative, and with an exasperated sight, Alex made his way back towards the command center, where the rest of Alpha Company had regrouped, all appearing defeated.

"Your demon friend _sure_ this sigil thing is here?" Rocket asked, "Cause we ain't got nothin'."

 _It's here,_ Necrodusk replied, _I just don't know where_ , and Alex relayed this information.

Something off caught Alex then, and after a brief head count, he realized someone was missing, "Hey...any of you seen Terrias?"

Just as he said this, the servine's unconscious form crashed through the window of the observation room behind them, sliding across the floor to a stop against a terminal, and Alpha Company's attention was instantly on the direction of where he came from. Before they even had a chance to react, they were effortlessly thrown aside by an unseen force, and Alex felt a peculiar sensation as he was paralyzed, lost complete control of his limbs, and forced into a kneeling position on the ground.

Corpse-like laughter reverberated through the air, and Alex was forced to face towards a tall, abnormally thin man walking casually down the stairs leading to the floor of the command center. His skin was pale, his straightened hair was a stark white in color and down to his lower back, his bloodred eyes were sunken into his skull, and he wore a long, flowing, dark blue cloak tapering off into rich black smoke which also circled around him as he moved, as if the creature was made of wind himself, and he chuckled again, smiling to bare small fangs set within pallid gums, "So, you are this creature's friends, hmm?" he said in a layered, airy voice, "But you aren't normal mortals are you? You're special...a product of either Heaven or Hell. It doesn't really matter which I suppose."

"Who the _fuck_ are you!?" Alex managed, but he found it becoming increasingly hard to breathe as his throat muscles refused to cooperate.

"Me? I'm nothing, nobody...I am a being that's been around since the dawn of the universe...something that pitiful creatures like you wouldn't care to know...actually, I only came here to look for this..." and he held up the small box that Terrias had found, open now to reveal the medallion inside, "You see...I need this little talisman for a small pet project of mine, one that isn't of any importance to the likes of you ascended insects."

Behind the creature, Terrias slowly came to, picking himself up and snarling towards the inhuman man. The servine stealthily charged towards him, preparing to attack before, with a swift, blink-and-you'll-miss-it movement, the demonic creature had turned and now held his black-gloved hand forward towards the Pokemon. Terrias froze to the spot, trembling as he was lifted from the ground and held aloft. The creature cocked his head curiously to the side before, grinning maliciously and with a swift, fluid swipe of his arm, Terrias was once more launched across the room, held against the floor by an unseen force. He struggled to move, cussing and hissing, but his muscles wouldn't cooperate.

"Now if you'll excuse me," the man continued, turning to face Alex, "There's something else I'm missing before I can continue with my project, have a pleasant morning," and with a snap of his fingers...

Alex opened his eyes to find himself back in his room in New Alexandria. Ruby lay beside him, wide awake and as equally confused about what had just happened. They both scrambled out of bed, rocketing out into the living room where the rest of Alpha Company had regrouped, all confused and even frightened.

"What the hell just happened!?" Cynder asked.

"So I wasn't the only one then," Terrias groaned, walking down stairs and massage his neck.

Aria asked, "Who the hell was that man?"

"I'm not sure," Alex replied, "But I've got a very bad feeling about all of this."


	13. Chapter XII: Azazel

_**Chapter XII**_ **:**

 **-''Azazel''-**

 **-New Alexandria, Montana-**

 **- _17 October 2015_ -**

 **- _0918 Hours_ -**

Alex stepped into Aphrodite's lab, located in the command center adjacent to Bleu's. The Beatles' _Within You Without You_ played over speakers from the dinosaur girl's docked MP3, and she was hard at work, typing away on her computer with the _Libro Morturom_ resting beside her. "You found anything yet about our mysterious guy?"

The girl jolted up with a start, replying, "Oh! Uh n-no, I haven't found a-anything yet."

"We don't even have a _slight_ lead?"

"N-No...I can't find anything. The whole M-Messorem thing is...well...p-practically n-nonexistent. It seems that anything t-tethered to that doesn't e-exist either."

"Great..."

"B-But there may be someone who _DOES_ know."

"Really? Where?"

"T-That's just it, I've been w-working for the p-past several hours trying t-to get in contact with him. I'll l-let you know i-if I get something."

"All right then."

"D-Don't worry, we'll f-figure this out."

Returning to the house, Alex was greeted by a distraught Ruby, anxious about something. He subtly led her back into their room, closing the door and turning to face his mate, "Everything okay?"

Ruby frowned, shaking her head, "This is going to sound very silly but...have you been having any strange dreams lately?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary, why?"

"Nevermind, then..."

"No, Ruby, tell me...what's going on? What's this about?"

She hesitated for a few moments before saying, "I...I've been having these dreams, they're so sad and..." she shook her head, "I thought it was just stress and things going on in our lives but...they don't...feel...like dreams. They feel almost real, I can't explain it..."

"Like visions?"

She nodded reluctantly, "Yes, like visions..."

"Talk to me...what are they about?"

"It sounds so silly..."

"Tell me."

She sighed, a light, worried squeak in her tone, "I've been dreaming of this...little goat boy..." she then continued, voice a little more firm, although she was blushing heavily, "The dreams start simple enough...we're on this beautiful beach on a tropical island, I'm on top of you and we're mating and...then there's this little voice...a little boy, he cries for help...I don't know his name but...at first we're startled by it because we're afraid of being caught...but we both just sorta shrug it off and continue. Then I feel this little furry hand on my back, it scares me and I turn around and I scare him. He looks so sad and lonely and he tells me that he's scared, that he thinks somebody's trying to kill him and he's afraid of his daddy finding out.

"He keeps saying this warning, 'you must stop the ascension', and he starts crying. I try to comfort him and he tells me that he's scared for his life, that he's hated and everybody is trying to kill him, that there's this girl called the 'adjudicator' that's looking for him. He says that he's not evil, but everybody always says he is and that everybody is trying to hurt him and that he needs help. I offer to help him, and he says that he would love to, but he can't. I ask why and he won't tell me. I ask him to tell us where he is, who he is, but he refuses to say anything, he only says that 'Uncle Vergil' would be mad if he was discovered to have escaped."

Alex listened intently, "Anything else?"

"He says that he'll show himself to us soon...when it's safe to do so, but he says not to forget his warning and asks that we 'remain receptive' to him. He said it might scare us at first, and that our first response will be to attack, but to not be worried, that everything is perfectly fine."

"Can you tell me what this boy looks like?"

Ruby nodded, "Yes, his looks are very clear in my head...he's maybe as tall as a human child, he's got this bright white fur and these great big, innocent, bright orange eyes. He's got fangs that he shows but...his expression isn't one of anger or danger, its one of fright...he's very scared. He's also got these two tiny demon horns on his head. He also said that he's talking to me because I am 'very close' to his savior, but he can't find a way to talk to his savior, so he decided to talk to me instead."

Alex's mood darkened and he frowned, he suddenly remembered small shards of the dream he had when he had been attacked in his sleep by an unseen demonic entity residing in the _Libro Morturom_...a goat boy he had freed from a cage of Magma Diamond in a forested dream world, and how an unseen but extraordinarily powerful force had protected him from the attack...could it be the same boy?

Ruby then visibly started, and when Alex asked to what had happened, the dolphin replied, "Wait...he did give me a name."

"What was it?"

She fell silent for a few moments, trying to recall the memory before finally answering, "Azazel."

Alex, accompanied by Ruby, stormed back into Aphrodite's lab, the dinosaur girl now listening to the Beatles' _The Inner Light_. The girl started, spilling the contents of her desk at the sudden intrusion. "H-Haven't you ever h-heard of knocking!?" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, well stop masturbating, I have something I need you to look up," Alex replied firmly.

"B-But I'm not..."

"I don't care...I have a name, can you run a search for me?"

"I-I guess...what is it?"

"Azazel."

"Azazel?" she asked, "Sounds demonic..."

"Just run the search for me."

"Y-Yes, right on it."

After several moments, Aphrodite replied, "Azazel is a goat demon appearing in Biblical literature, involved w-with the 'scapegoat' rite. L-Looks like sins were cast onto a goat who was then sent out into the wilderness and sacrificed...w-why do you ask?"

"Great...I released a fucking demon..."

"He said that he wasn't evil...but everybody thought he was...maybe he was wrongly seen as evil? Or perhaps he was named after another demon?"

"It's still a bloody damn demon!"

"So is Necrodusk..." Ruby replied defensively, "But you still confide in him!"

"We don't _know_ what this thing is!"

"That _thing_ is a child, Alex! We have to help him somehow!"

"He's a demon, Ruby! He just took on the appearance of a child to get to us...he's probably in league with _Filios Diaboli_!"

"No I'm not..." a small, frail voice suddenly spoke from behind them, startling them both. Instantly, the world froze in place, as if someone had paused time itself. Both Alex and Ruby instantly turned to face the source of the voice, seeing the goat boy huddled in the doorway, wearing a dingy, well-worn blue cloak. He bore his fangs, but as Ruby had described, it was more out of fear than anger, and he looked like he was on the verge of tears. The Commander prepared to attack before, as the child raised one furry arm, he was suddenly frozen in place. Ruby reacted similarly before she, too, was paralyzed, not unlike what the unknown creature had done to them on Charity Hill.

"Who the hell are you!?" Alex exclaimed, eyes wide.

"My name is Azazel," the boy replied, "I mean you no harm, I swear. Please don't hurt me...if I let you go, will you give me a chance to explain?"

Alex snarled, but Ruby calmly replied, "We will, don't worry."

Azazel cast the Commander an uneasy glance before he squeezed his eyes shut, lowering his arm and releasing his control over the two. Alex made a move to storm forward but Ruby placed a gentle, gloved fin over his shoulder, holding him back. Azazel slowly opened his eyes, and when seeing that the two were not going to attack, he visibly relaxed. "My name..." he shook his head, "I'm not the goat demon...but I was named _after_ him. I'm not evil, I'm here to help you."

"And why would you want to?" Alex hissed.

"Because, the earth is in danger. If the ascension is allowed to happen, you and everyone else on this planet will be destroyed. I'm not evil, I've never wanted to be evil, I don't like hurting people, that's why I'm trying to save the world...but I need your help to do it. I can't," he looked at his furry hands in disgust, "I know I'm a monster...I have terrible powers...and a terrible family...but I don't want them."

"How do we stop this bastard?" Alex asked, still unsure if he was able to trust the demon.

"The only way you can...you need to steal the key back from Uncle Vergil and destroy both that and the book...somehow. I think I might know a way to get rid of them forever...but you'll have to get them first, then you'll have to trust me to dispose of it."

"Then help us get it!" Alex snarled.

"I wish I could..." the boy replied sadly, "But my time is limited...I can't stay gone for long or they'll find out I'm missing. Just trust me, please? I'll try to help whenever I can but...I don't know when I'll have a chance to sneak away for awhile," and he began to step backwards, "I will come back, don't worry."

"Azazel!" Alex hissed.

"Please don't call me that," the goat boy replied, "I'm not a monster like him."

"Wait!"

But he had already vanished, time resuming to normal. Alex's blood ran cold, fury built up within him and it took every ounce of his willpower to keep from exploding on someone.

"Was that all you needed?" Aphrodite concluded, puzzled.

Alex said nothing, only stormed away. Ruby turned back to face the dinosaur girl and nodded, "Thank you," before chasing after her mate.

"Alex!" Ruby called after her mate, storming across the military district. The dolphin to catch up to him, "Alex! Wait up!" as she finally caught up to him, she placed a gloved fin against his shoulder. He stiffened beneath her, violently turning to face her, face twisted into a rabid snarl of fury, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I don't trust that son of a bitch!" he hissed, "He's a fucking demon! Yeah Necrodusk is, too, but I've been living with _him_ since the day I was fucking born! How mysterious it is that this kid shows up _just_ as we're dealing with a _very_ powerful, ancient, occult W.M.D! How do we know he's not just trying to get into our good side so he can steal it for himself? How do we know he isn't working with _Filios Diaboli_?"

Ruby frowned, offended, "You want to know how I know? Because while he was explaining himself, I dove into his head, I sorted through his thoughts. Alex, he's not dangerous, far from it as a matter of fact! He's just a scared little kid who risked his life to come try and help us!"

"You believe him!?"

"You know as well as I do that the only way someone can get away with a lie is if they firmly believe they are correct. There were no telltale warning signs in his head, he's innocent."

"How do you know he's not hiding anything!? It took me years of practice before I started to get the hang of it!"

"Yeah? I'm also much more powerful than you, no offense, and I've been with my powers since I was a little calf. I'm ten years old now, that's ten years of practice when I was already stronger than you to begin with. We can trust him," she smiled, "If you won't trust him, at least trust me."

Alex was breathing heavily, fuming, "Fine. But he makes one little fuck up, and he's done, understand?"

Ruby nodded, "Of course, I was going to keep an eye on him anyway, just in case, somehow, I _was_ wrong."

"Real fuckin' reassuring, Ruby."

"Hey, we all make mistakes...even you," and she winked at him, giggling to herself.

As they walked back to the house, Alex felt Necrodusk awaken and the Commander asked the ascended demon, _What do you know about a little goat boy named Azazel?_

 _Azazel?_ the shadow-demon responded, _One of Lucifer's officers, nothing too terribly special._

 _Not the sacrificed goat Azazel._

Alex explained his and Ruby's nighttime encounters with the boy, to which Necrodusk responded, confused, _I have never heard of him before...are you sure that's his name?_

 _Apparently._

 _Strange..._

 _He keeps bringing up something he calls the 'ascension'...any idea what that is?_

 _I would assume he's referring to the Lifehunter's release, since that was often referred to as his 'ascension' in the prophecies. It's this that we are trying to prevent, and why we cannot lose the book as well._

 _Prophecies? You mean all this bullshit was foretold!?_

 _Well...of sorts. You see, the Lifehunter's ascension from Purgatory was one of the catalytic events building up towards the fusion of Messorem and the end of the Base World, a major but otherwise unrelated prophecy...it's just a sign that we are in the End Times._

 _Why didn't you tell us this? Why are we fighting it then?_

 _Because it's threatening to initiate prematurely...the Old Regime is still incomplete._

 _How do we know that this whole ascension thing isn't involved in bringing more of the Old Regime together?_

 _Because, aside from the Lifehunter's connection to the Old Regime, there is nothing to gain from this. If the Lifehunter is allowed to be released as he is right now, he can threaten to undermine the Reclamation...the point where Messorem is reformed and the Old Regime is restored._

 _Meaning...?_

 _Meaning that he can interrupt the prophecy and bring about the premature end of the Base World. We aren't ready for him, so he must be stopped._

 _So why would a demon like this Azazel kid be so goddamn adamant to halt the prophecy? I thought Hell_ wanted _Armageddon to be unleashed?  
_

 _I'm not sure...the existence of this child is as puzzling as it is worrisome...there are no child demons...Angels and Demons alike were rendered sterile and incapable of reproduction after the Lifehunter's betrayal. The angelic hierarchy fears that if they were capable of reproduction, it could birth more demigods and further cause problems in the universe's mechanisms._

 _But demons don't give two shits about what the angelic hierarchy wants...so what's stopping them from screwing around?_

 _Because we were...for lack of better terms...genetically reprogrammed long before Lucifer's rebellion split from the Holy Kingdom._

 _So basically God took one look at the disaster that Messorem and Vitam were responsible for, said 'fuck all of you guys for fucking shit up', and magically neutered every celestial being in the universe?_

 _In layman's terms, yes. The whole...event...was a little more complex than that, but in essence, you are correct._

 _Great...but that still doesn't tell me_ why _there's some goat kid walking around claiming to be a 'good demon' and carrying the name of some hellspawn lieutenant._

 _Yes...I would agree that this whole situation is peculiar. The child should not exist if he_ is _a demon, and if he isn't, why would he claim to_ be _one? Perhaps a select few demons chanced to survive sexually intact, but...is there anything else you know about this child._

 _No...only that I was taken to his prison in a dream, I set him free, he apparently protected me from a demonic attack by the_ Libro Morturom _, or some entity lingering around it anyway, and now has been appearing to Ruby in her sleep, warning about the ascension and ordering us to stop it._

 _I honestly don't know what to say,_ Necrodusk sighed, _But something seems off about all of this. Be wary of the child is all I can suggest, not until we're sure of his identity and his motives._

 _Fair enough, but how can I keep him out of our dreams?_

 _It's not uncommon for demons, and even angels, to communicate to mortals through their sleep, if they desire to. It is rare because neither side can be bothered to toy with mortals...under normal circumstances. There are some special exemptions. Now why this Azazel chooses to speak to you through your sleep when he's fully capable of visiting you in person is a definitely peculiar situation._

 _Is speaking to us while we sleep perhaps more covert than visiting in person?_

 _Well...yes...but who would he be wanting to hide his contacts from?_

 _Perhaps someone close to him who is involved with the Lifehunter and this quest to set him free. Maybe Azazel really_ does _realize that this is a really bad fucking idea and really_ does _want to be our inside man into the Lifehunter's inner circle._

 _Perhaps...but I still would not trust him. You don't have to be cruel to him, you don't have to ignore him, just do not trust him, at least not until we're sure of what is going on._

 _Still don't like how he actually stopped the clock..._

 _Yes, another aspect that worries me. Few beings possess the power to directly manipulate time and space like that. Yes you can travel through time, but to_ stop _or even_ reverse _time requires extraordinary and dangerous levels of power. Very few beings have such access to the interdimensional gap between the Omniverse and the Base World where the Beams and the towers of Time and Space reside, and even_ fewer _can manipulate them...not even Lucifer or God Himself possess that kind of ability._

 _He also protected me from an attack by the_ Libro Morturom _after I freed him._

 _You said he was incarcerated?_

 _Yes, it was some kinda weird forest-y area, he was trapped in a cage of...I think Piermont calls it Magma Diamond._

 _Hmm..._ and Necrodusk's mood sank.

 _What's wrong_? Alex asked, suddenly worried.

 _I...no, there's no way it_ can _be..._

 _What? What are you talking about? What aren't you telling me, Necro?_

The demon's response was anxious and hurried, _Just...watch your back, I'll let you know if my suspicions are confirmed, but I won't say either way and potentially raise any false alarms in the chance that I'm incorrect._

What _suspicions? Jut tell me, mate!_

But Necrodusk had already retreated into the depths of the Commander's mind, severing the contact.

"Bloody hell," Alex spat beneath his breath.


	14. Chapter XIII: The Luck of the Irish

_**Chapter XIII**_ **:**

 **-''The Luck of the Irish''-**

 **-Ellsworth, Illinois-**

 **- _25 October 2015_ -**

 **- _1010 Hours_ -**

Alpha Company stood in the parking lot outside of Ellsworth High School, where they had all graduated from three years earlier. "Explain why we're here?" Spyro asked as they walked towards the entrance, passing through into the empty student commons beyond.

"Heinrich decided it was time for us to do some recruiter bullshit," thee Commander replied, "Basically we're doing the same thing that all those military branches did for us when we still went here."

"Which is still ironic, considering that was during the Second Civil War."

"Well Mabao had it out for us and us only...besides, just be glad he didn't send the Tartarus Unit to do the recruiter work."

"Yeah, then the whole fuckin' joint woulda been shot up," Piermont spoke in a low voice, "Surprised the recruiters didn't go after our asses. Kinda hard for Alpha to blend in, even in a busy cafeteria at lunch hour."

"Well, the _Maxia_ was a smaller, separate branch," Spyro replied, "Most of the United States Armed Forces were either neutral in the war or on our side."

"Yet the _Maxia_ still had enough support to replenish their numbers even when we wiped out entire legions of them," Cynder sighed.

"Hey, I'm just glad that we got here during class," Alex replied, "Last thing I want to do is to navigate through a giant-ass crowd trying to get to the cafeteria to set up camp. Don't really wanna face my old teachers either."

"Why? They weren't bad," Terrias replied.

"No, but I prefer to linger in the shadows...away from people who'd recognize me...and between the teachers we had and the Freshmen of our day who are now...what...Seniors? I'd much rather stay low."

"Junior High was much worse," Piermont scowled bitterly.

"Yeah? Which is why I downright refuse to go back there for _anything_ , cause fuck 'em all."

"What was it like going to school?" Ruby suddenly asked.

Alex shrugged, stopping in the middle of the T-intersection between the maths wing and the sciences wing. He looked both sides before turning to the right, towards the direction of the arts room and the cafeteria. "Sit in a classroom for eight hours, watch teachers drone on about their subjects, try to stay awake, then go home with a crapload of work forcing to solve problems using what the teachers taught you that day. I hated it, and we weren't even in class half the time."

"Yeah, most of our time was spent on the goddamn battlefield against the _Maxia_ ," Spyro replied.

"Looking forward to the mockery again," Piermont smirked, "Causes you can't take an army seriously when they have Flipper smiling right next to them."

"Fuck you," Alex hissed.

"It's true ain't it? Shoulda left your fucking fish back home with that goddamn gargoyle, mate."

"Ignore him, Ruby," Alex replied.

"Yet he doesn't mention me at all," Sapphire replied, standing behind Ruby.

"Oh? You're still here? Sorry but you never fuckin' speak so I forget you actually exist, Lorelai. Why don't you take Flipper back home then, eh?"

"Shut up, Pierre," Alex hissed.

"Make me, you queer-ass fuckboy!"

Alex instantly turned to face his human-form dragon, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Better question," the dragon snarled, narrowing his eyes, "What the fuck is wrong with _you_? You'd sell your goddamn soul for that fucking fish of yours!"

"This isn't about Ruby, and you know it. So what's _really_ going on, Pierre?"

"I'm getting tired of watching you and that goddamn dolphin everyday!" and he said nothing else, storming ahead. Alex tentatively placed an arm around Ruby, who only sighed, shaking her head.

"Perhaps one day he'll understand," she replied.

"Ignore him, there's something else going on here, it has nothing to do with you."

"I know," she replied, "I've tried to see what's going on but...his mind is locked up tight, I can't see anything..." she continued, "He changed after you disappeared last year...he's been like this since."

"He has been extremely volatile since the Reapers captured you," Cynder answered in the affirmative, "We just assumed he was struggling to fight against his instinct after losing his rider but...you're alive and he's _still_ like this."

"Maybe he's jealous of the Commander's relationship with his mate," Sapphire suggested.

"But why?" Spyro asked, "It's not like they're screwing each other behind the scenes, at least not anymore."

Alex's heart sank, "You know about that?"

"We've been learning things about each other," Spyro replied, "Now that things are _largely_ calm again within our little family."

"Jealousy does not necessarily mean they are mates," Sapphire replied, "Or there is any desire to _be_ mates. Alex is incredibly close to Ruby, they love each other very much and he puts her over anyone else. Given that Piermont was once in this position, the Commander's priority, now that his position has been usurped by Ruby, maybe he's angry, hurt, or jealous about that."

"Well, he's gonna have to get over it," Alex replied firmly.

While Alex, Terrias, and the rest of the High Command began setting up their station in a corner of the cafeteria, Tiberius and Athena reflexively patrolled through the open room, ensuring everything was safe and secure. The others of Alpha Company weren't nearly as defensive, and it didn't take long after everything had been set up and put in place before Alex and Terrias resorted to a bit of friendly sparring, to the observation of the other members of the unit. Although they had left their arms back at home, Alex grabbed two sticks from the adjacent courtyard, tossing one towards Terrias and testing the balance of it.

Satisfied, the duo stepped aside while Rapid and Jazz moved aside some tables to make a circular arena. Following this, the clustered Alpha Company dispersed around the arena, encircling the sparring pair to watch the vents unfold. "All right!" Alex began, "Once we're done with this," the Commander pointed at Rocket, "You're gonna get your ass up here and I'm gonna show you how to fight."

"I ain't stupid, I can fight."

"Well you're gonna learn some swordplay, or in your case knife play, in the event you lose your weapons or you run out of ammunition. It's always good to have a contingency plan so you don't get stranded in battle with no way of defending yourself."

"Knife play?" Terrias grinned, "Shouldn't you two go on a date first?"

Without breaking his stride, Alex replied, "Screw you, Terrias," before continuing uninterrupted, "I've been in situations like that before. You either lose access to your weapon or you run low on ammunition. How do you get away with your life? Simple, return to your trusty blade. Now, I expect you to watch and observe what Terrias and I do," and Alex rotated to face his opponent, "Both of us are highly skilled swordsmen, so you can learn a thing or two just by observation."

While Alex took up a formal combat stance, Terrias leaned against one of the tables, casually twirling his makeshift 'sword'. "Oh, we ready to go?" the servine chuckled, standing upright and popping his neck, " _En garde_!"

Alex was the first to make his move, feigning a lunge before diving beneath Terrias' readied counter, leaping to his feet behind the servine and preparing to slash down. With eerie agility, the Pokemon rotated on his feet to face his opponent again and parried the attack, countering with a clean riposte as he smacked the stick against the Commander's stomach, briefly knocking the wind out of the young man.

The servine chuckled, "Alex, you use the same strategy nearly every time. Gotta mix things up a little, man," and he stepped back, twirling the stick again until the Commander had recovered. Alex then became more aggressive, launching towards the servine once more. Terrias, once again dodged the attack, countering with his own, but Alex managed to avoid this and land a hit against the side of the Pokemon's head, still scarred from where the mind control device had been attached to him during his tenure as the Reaper general Ares. He rapidly shook his head, "Wow...I almost saw stars for a moment there."

For several minutes, Alex and Terrias continued their aggressive combat, with the servine slowly starting to gain the lead over the Commander. As more of Terrias' strikes made contact, Alex became more aggressive and angry, even while his opponent remained cool, calm, and collected, dodging or countering Alex's blows whenever he could but taking his time to strike, waiting for an opportunity. Finally, the game was called and Terrias declared the winner. Alex sat cross-legged on the ground, out of breath, blue sparks of healing dancing across his body.

"Keep practicing," the servine chuckled, "Maybe you'll be able to beat me someday...or maybe not."

Alex only flipped him off, nodding towards Rocket, "All right, you ready?"

"Sure," the raccoon replied, stepping forward, "How hard can this be?" and he picked up Terrias' stick, snapping it in two across his leg and twirling the two halves around.

As the two clashed, Alex mixing up his strategy to throw the raccoon, he was immediately made aware of the advantages the creature had over him. Rocket was smaller, faster, more nimble, and much more aggressive than the laid-back Terrias. The Commander barely had time to attack as he was constantly put on the defensive by the raccoon's relentless attacks and surprising stamina. The small beast also knew how to use his speed and agility to his advantage, and was constantly circling and flipping around Alex, throwing him off and dizzying him more than once. Eventually, Rocket seemed to grow tired of the game, and he quickly scaled Alex's back until he was atop the Commander's shoulders, wrapping his arms around Alex's neck and taking him down painfully.

"How the actual hell..." the Commander managed, regaining his breath.

"I had to fight the friggin' Reapers, sometimes one-on-one, I know how to defend myself."

Just then, Alex's phone, laying on the table, began to ring. With an annoyed grunt, the Commander picked himself up, brushing the dirt off of his dress uniform, reminiscent of the _schutzstaffel_ officer uniforms of Nazi Germany, with the Terminator Eagle on a solid red background replacing the Nazi flag on the suit's armband.

"Vaughn here," the Commander answered.

Alpha Company's Hornet appeared in the skies above the town of Newcastle Village in Ireland. It was late night, the moon was beginning its descent, and the rolling green foothills encircling the small village were pitch black and invisible in the darkness.

"Why are we here again?" Dash asked.

"Aphrodite has a contact she wants us to meet."

"I got that at the briefing...but _what_ contact?"

"Some dude named Sam O'Malley, a guy at the local college. Guess this guy has dedicated his life to researching the War in Heaven and the Old Regime, and might even know about the _Libro Morturom_."

"Great...you didn't bring it did you?"

Alex opened his satchel, sliding out the ancient tome.

Dash sighed, "We can't just keep that thing away from us, can we?"

"Not until we know exactly what it is and how to dispose of it...that's what I'm hoping this guy can tell us."

Upon the machine's landing at the quiet helipad, Terrias killed the engines and Alpha Company stepped out into the cool, evening air. They were then led to an adjacent hotel where they would stay for the night, intending to make the trip to the college about forty-five minutes outside of town the next morning. Thankfully, the town was empty at this hour, so they were able to get by with minimal attention brought to themselves. Aphrodite's frantic, last-minute planning was unfortunately evident...there was only one room left vacant and the unit had to fight to have the hotel staff allow them to all share it. The hotel also did not realize the composition of the unit, so it was another difficult fight before the animalian Alpha Company was allowed to stay in the strictly 'no pets allowed' building.

By the time they finally managed to get to the room and start getting settled, the skies outside were beginning to brighten into a dark blue hue, and the Commander pondered staying up the rest of the night so they could get an early start to the university, another long trip through winding mountain roads. He decided against it however, managing to get comfortable in an armchair sitting in one corner of the cluttered room and finally managing to drift off, just as the first rays of sunlight began to beam through the curtains into his eyes.

The unit awoke several hours later, and while they readied their hastily packed things to prepare for the long trip ahead, something they'd have to make through sleep deprivation, they all were suddenly aware of an electrical feel in the air. Alex and Ruby immediately turning to face the door heading out into the hall. The others of Alpha Company soon responded, instantly on alert when, from out of nowhere, a small goat boy, clad in a dingy, well-worn blue cloak materialized in front of the door just inside of the room in a flash of light.

Terrias was the first to react, preparing to shoot at the boy before Ruby called him down, "Wait! Don't shoot him!"

Remaining on alert with the rest of Alpha Company, Terrias snarled, never looking away from the boy, "Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Azazel..." the boy replied in a small timid voice, once more wearing that frightened, open-mouthed expression, "I-I mean you no harm..."

"What are you doing here?" Alex replied coldly.

"I...I came to warn you," Azazel answered, trembling voice slightly strengthening, "Uncle Vergil knows you're looking for the key he stole and any leads to the book's purpose...please be careful, he's very dangerous. You need to get out of here, he knows that there's someone here who can stop the ascension and he's planning an attack, it's too dangerous!"

"We're not leaving until we find our lead," Alex said, grimacing, "And sorry, but I still don't trust you."

"I'm not asking you, too..." Azazel replied, "I'm just warning you. Uncle Vergil is coming here very soon, if you're not gone by the time he gets here...he will destroy you...and unlike last time, I can't protect you if he attacks," the boy addressed this last part to Alex, who noticeably winced, "I managed to find some time to sneak out and tell you now but...please don't stay here," anxiously looking around, Azazel concluded, "I...I need to get back home before they find out I'm gone. Please go away from here, go _far_ away, get somewhere safe..." and in a flash of light, the goat boy had vanished once again, leaving a bewildered Alpha Company standing awkwardly around in silence.

"We should listen to him," Ruby finally said.

"No," Alex replied firmly, "Are goal is to find O'Malley, we're not leaving until we got him!" and the Commander nodded towards his companions, "Let's get a move on before it gets any later, we have a long drive ahead of us."

As they drove towards the university, Rocket asked the question that was on everyone's minds, "So...the hell was that all about? Who was that kid?"

"Supposedly a demon named Azazel," Alex replied, "Is trying to stop the 'ascension', which I can only think means he's trying to stop the Lifehunter's release."

"Fuckin' demons..." Piermont snarled, but he was ignored.

"And why would a demon want to help us stop this Lifehunter guy from getting released?" Rocket continued, "Thought that's what the demons wanted was to set him free."

"Well apparently Azazel doesn't agree...I still don't trust him."

"You don't trust anybody," Terrias smirked.

 _He is right about one thing_ , Lucy thought to them, flying above, _There is a disturbance in the area...a great evil is building, can any of you feel it?_

" _Nobody_ is getting in between us and this O'Malley guy, that's the last time I'm saying it!" Alex hissed, "This conversation is over! It's not open for discussion!"

They finally pulled into the campus, finding it bustling with activity as students moved between classes. Telepathically, Alex instructed his unit to take on temporary human forms until they could find and extract their target. Upon stepping out into the cold, rainy morning, he was suddenly aware of what Lucy had mentioned. There definitely was an unnatural, uncanny, electric feel in the air, something didn't feel right. Once his unit had gathered around him, he continued ahead, scanning the expansive campus for an idea to begin their search.

"So where are we supposed to find our contact?" Ruby asked, "And does he even know we're coming?"

"Aphrodite didn't say," Alex replied, "She was just hellbent on finding him...I've already sent out the _Nighthawks_ to do some reconnaissance around the area, maybe to get an idea of where he is. Tiberius and Athena went with them, too."

Standing in a plaza in the busy heart of the campus, marked by a large, ornate fountain, the Commander examined his surroundings, covertly scouring through the students' minds for any knowledge of their target's location...finding nothing.

 _Alex, we've found him_ , Shahvee, an Argonian from the Gothics nation of Tamriel and one of the Commander's private bodyguards, referred to as the _Nighthawks_ , telepathically informed him, _He's on the north side of campus, adjacent to the soccer field_.

 _We're on our way_ , Alex replied, then nodding towards his companions, "Got 'em."

Samuel O'Malley, a twenty-five year old, Sophomore history major, quickly walked across campus towards his next class. He was about 1.6 meters tall, thin, and wore a light, gray sweater, blue jeans, and a dark gray beret. His dark hair was short, his dark brown eyes peered out from beneath black, horn-rimmed glasses, and he walked briskly and intently towards his destination, ignoring everyone around him. He stopped, observing a group of protesters blocking the way into the building, and with a scowl and silent swear beneath his breath, he detoured through a small part of a forest trail that would lead him to the back entrance of the building. Soon, he was by himself, and he was interrupted from his thoughts by the sound of movement from the trees. He passed this off as nothing at first, figuring it was just some collegians playing, until he heard an unusual, animalian growl.

He paused, looking around him, trying to find the source of the sound. When his eyes fell upon two dark green orbs shining at him from the brush, he was instantly on alert, making a run for the building. A velociraptor soon rocketed out of the brush, with two blue stripes going down its back, chasing Sam down, a second velociraptor, with red stripes on its back, followed closely behind its companion.

" _HELP_!" Sam exclaimed in a thick accent, "Something's after me!" he peered back to see his pursuer, eyes widening, "Jesus Christ! What the hell are you!?"

Finally reaching the door into the building, he through it open, diving inside and slamming the door shut. The raptor abruptly slammed into the steel door, dazed by the impact, and Sam continued his sprint through the vacant halls of the building. As he rounded a corner towards the stairwell, he was startled as five lizardlike humanoids appeared from the shadows, wearing suits of black body armor. Sam managed to uppercut one of them, the beast emitting a feminine cry as she fell back and the young man continued forward, taking the stairs two at a time.

He heard the growl of a big cat, and upon looking behind him again, his eyes widened once more at the sight of a cheetah in pursuit, easily gaining on him. "Don't hurt him, Keisha!" one of the lizard folk spoke in a deep, male voice. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Sam quickly passed through the door in the landing into the third floor, where his class was being held. He slammed the door shut behind him, running for his life and checking back to make sure nothing was in pursuit.

In a cheap, false, cockney accent, a man spoke in front of him, exclaiming, "'Ello, gov'na!" and before Sam had a chance to face his obstacle, he was clocked across the face by a steel object, sent to the ground in a daze. He tried to pick himself up, but found that he was stunned by the blow. Instead, he turned to face the man who had struck him, seeing a young man in a Nazi officer's uniform standing over him, rubbing his leather-bound left arm, appearing to be a prosthetic.

Another lizardlike creature, clad in nothing but an unbuttoned trench coat appeared beside the Nazi, and with a few hushed, exchanged words between the two, the Nazi nodded ahead, saying in English, in an American accent, "We've got our guy," then staring down towards Sam, "Sorry for the hook shot, brother, but I had to return the favor...hurts don't it?"

Once Tiberius, Athena, Keisha, and the _Nighthawks_ had regrouped with him, Alex extended a hand to Sam, helping him back onto his feet, "Sorry for the sudden intrusion, but we need your help."

"Who are you?"

"Alex Vaughn, Great Commander of the Terminator Militia, and this is my unit, Alpha Company."

"Why should I help you?"

"We're not bad guys here," Alex replied, "In fact, we're quite the opposite, we're trying to save the freaking world and we need _your_ help with it."

"How the hell am I supposed to help!?"

"Sources tell me that you possess knowledge on the Lifehunter and something called the ascension?"

"The Lifehunter? You mean Archdemon Deitus the Immortal? How do _you_ know about him?"

"Let's just say that somebody's going to some really great lengths to try and release him onto Earth. I'm not the smartest guy in the world, but even _I_ know that's a bad thing. So, can you help us or what?"


	15. Chapter XIV: Vergil

_**Chapter XIV**_ **:**

 **-''Vergil''-**

 **-Newcastle, Ireland-**

 **- _26 October 2015_ -**

 **- _1820 Hours_ -**

"Mind the mess," Sam began, unlocking the door into his cluttered apartment and stepping aside to allow Alpha Company inside, "Hope you're not in too big of a hurry, I'll let you in to see my stuff but it will probably have to be in the morning...it's getting late."

"What's stopping us from checking it out now?" Alex asked.

"My study is across town and my car's in the shop."

"Great..."

"Oh, don't worry, everything will still be there tomorrow."

"Things are kinda urgent right now, mate," Alex spat.

"I know, I know, and I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do. Anyway, make yourselves comfortable."

That night, Alex lay on the fold out couch, Ruby curled into his lap, sleeping soundly. The Commander smiled towards his mate, petting her gently, scratching the base of her dorsal fin. "You really enjoy her company, don't you?" and Alex looked up to see Terrias leaning in the doorway.

"Not looking forward to January..." then Alex asked, "What do you think about going into hiding? I don't want to leave her and...we weren't even in control of ourselves, so we shouldn't be held accountable for our actions."

"Why? Just remember that she'll be there when you get out."

"That's just the thing, what if she isn't?"

"You don't trust her?"

"No, it not that I don't trust _her_ , I don't trust Alpha."

This admission caught the servine off guard.

"Especially Piermont and Spyro, given how they treated her last year. I'm afraid that she won't survive if I'm gone...that's why I wanna run away, take her with me."

"You do that...I'm not going to hide," Terrias responded with a sigh.

"Why not?"

"Because ever since we were liberated from Harbinger's control, I've been feeling guilty for everything we did. Even if we weren't in control of ourselves, the guilt is overwhelming. If we don't get punished for it, the families of everyone we slaughtered won't have any closure...no justice for the wrongful deaths...my conscience won't let me do that to people, I don't want to hurt anyone. I get that Ruby means a lot to you, and I get that you don't trust anyone anymore, but don't you have any semblance of a conscience? Sorry if it makes me sound like a total ass but...I just...I can't do it."

"It's nothing but another weakness," Alex growled lowly.

"Weakness? You mean to tell me that you don't have a conscience now? I call that bullshit."

"Maybe I have some semblance of one, but the fact of the matter is, I don't care what happened as Thanatos, either way I look at it, it wasn't _me_. So I'm in the clear."

"You don't even feel the _least_ bit guilty about what we did?"

"No, not at all. Shit happens, and the blood wasn't on my hands, it was on the Reapers'."

Silence for several moments before, "You know...every time I think I get to know you, I always find out something more about the kinda person you are."

"Yeah? Welcome to the club, there's some things I don't even tell _Ruby_."

"Well, if you _do_ decide to go on the run and avoid prison...don't expect me to be an ally in your quest. I have enough on my conscience than to add that into the mix."

"You didn't have any problem lying to the feds during the Second Civil War," Alex chuckled

"Because that was a _war_ and Mabao was the enemy. We're allies with the U.S again, different story."

Alex fell silent then, his attention turned to his sleeping lover. Although he knew that what Terrias said was right, and he secretly felt guilty about the crimes he had committed as well, his fear of what would become of Ruby in his absence still kept him scheming how to escape the imminent. Running and hiding would only worsen the problem, and it only showed cowardice in him...there was no courage in hiding, but at the same time, he refused to take the risk. Spyro and Piermont's actions during his absence shattered his trust in them, and the Commander found himself beginning to wonder who all he actually _could_ trust. It seemed that Terrias and Ruby _were_ the only ones he could, maybe Sapphire as well. Zinnia he hoped he could trust, but she was a paragon, and he figured that if stuck with a choice between disobeying the law and betraying Alex, it would be the latter. As roguish as he was, when he made promises, he kept them.

"Listen, Alex...I get it, you're worried about her, but it's not like you're dying again...you go in there, you stomach your stay, maybe get out on good behavior, and then you can come home and resume your normal life. I'm sure Ruby can stick it out until then, at least she doesn't believe you're gone forever this time, prisons do have visiting hours y'know."

"Yeah, if we don't get thrown into maximum security, or worse, death row."

"That's why we get a good lawyer to negotiate for us."

Silence for several moments before, in a small voice, "You know, Terrias..." he smiled sadly, "I never, in my life, would have expected to be stabbed in the back by my own friends. Maybe Spyro, given how much of a fuckin' goody-two-shoes he is...but not Piermont. I thought if anything, Piermont would have been the one to try and honor my legacy, not spit on it and abuse my mate."

"Sometimes even _we_ can't see someone's true colors."

"Perhaps...and through all of this, you know what I've learned?"

"What?"

"That you're probably the only person I can trust...and you're my best friend."

Terrias half-hugged his friend, firmly grabbing his shoulder with one three-fingered hand, "Well, birds of a feather flock together...and guys like us need to look out for each other. I've got your back and I'm confident that you have mine as well...I do have one question, however."

"What's that?"

"If, hypothetically speaking, someone in our clique went rogue...someone close to you...would you be willing to kill them? Someone like Spyro or Cynder?"

"I...I'm not sure."

"What about Piermont?"

Silence from the Commander.

"Well," Terrias began, popping his neck, "Food for thought anyway...I think I'm heading to bed, goodnight, Alex."

"Night..."

"As for all of the shit going on, don't worry about it, it'll all work out for us in the end, it always does," and with this, the servine left, leaving Alex alone, cradling the love of his life.

"I'm sorry..." a small, timid, female voice spoke up, and Alex turned his attention to face his visitor, standing in the archway heading into the darkened hall. Cynder stood in place, frowning sadly, and she slowly approached the Commander, head lowered, "I overheard you two...I'm sorry for everything."

"I trusted _everyone_ here. I thought they were my family."

Cynder looked up to face Alex, eyes displaying the weight of her guilt and sorrow, "I know I'm not innocent...I had my share of attacks but...after I realized how we were hurting her, I tried to help. I let you down, I betrayed you, and I'm sorry...please forgive me."

"Under normal circumstances, I would without a doubt...but the problem is that...I can't _tell_ anymore if someone is sincere. I never would have _imagined_ that everything would just...fall apart when I left."

"This doesn't excuse us, but we were under a lot of stress. The Reapers were closing in, we had lost so many of our brothers, and we didn't have time to properly grieve, and our own ideals and morals began to clash. Spyro...was under a lot of stress, the fact that I hurt for you only made matters worse...he was jealous, and he took out that rage on Ruby. After you were disconnected from the mind bank, Piermont...gave up. I know that most dragons either suicide or collapse into a maddened state and have to be put down when their rider is lost...but he held on, even if it was by a single thread. You're back now, and _still_ he's in that...almost feral state...I'm afraid he may be too gone to be saved. Listen, Alex...don't worry about Ruby, _I_ will protect her, I'm sure others will, too, like Rocket, Tiberius, Athena, Zinnia, and Lucy."

"What if Spyro hurts her?"

"He can try," Cynder replied darkly, "I won't let him."

"And if he attacks you?"

"Then I'll put him down myself."

"Cynder..."

"He changed," the she-dragon interrupted, "After you went missing...he changed, and not for the better. I look at him now and...it's like I don't even know him anymore, like he's a stranger. I don't _want_ to believe that my mate is gone forever, but I just...I don't know anymore," and she began to tear up, biting her lip and shaking her head, "As time passes, I'm seeing a lot of us changing and evolving...we're going down a very dark road, and Ruby is one of the few beacons of light still standing. I _will_ protect her, if not for her, then for you," she hugged him then, touching her forehead to his in a dragonian sign of affection, "Even if we don't mate anymore...I _still_ love you."

Then Alex admitted something that he never thought he would, "I'm scared, Cynder. Everything we've worked for, everything we've _fought_ for, is falling apart. This ship is sinking faster than I can mend it and I...I don't know what to do...and I'm scared that Ruby will get caught in the middle of it. She's weak compared to the others, mentally and emotionally weak, they will tear her apart like jackals if we finally cross the event horizon...Cynder, I need you to promise me something."

"Of course."

"If someone goes too far...I need you to promise me that you aren't afraid to kill them to protect her...even if that someone is Piermont."

"And Spyro?"

"I'm not asking you to hurt your mate..."

Cynder sniffled again, "My mate...is not my mate anymore," and as she bowed her head in the light, a thin scar became visible across her snout, appearing fresh, three parallel lines, roughly the same size as Spyro's claws if his paw was outstretched.

"You do what you feel like you need to do," Alex replied, hugging his dragonian mate and friend, "Just please protect Ruby..."

Cynder turned to face him, smiling sadly. His eyes shined brightly and a tear dropped down his cheek. With one claw, she gently wiped it away, nodding, "I will, I promise..." and they embraced once again.

When it finally broke, he lightly kissed her forehead and stroked her head, "I trust you...just make sure you take care of yourself, too, okay?"

She nodded, managing a faint ghost of a smile, "No guarantee I won't do anything stupid but...I'll try."

"I love you, Cynder."

"I love you, too, Alex," and with this, she finally left, quietly sneaking into her room.

 _Alex's eyes open, and with a groan, he picks himself up off the rainy sidewalk. He blinks, shaking his head and looking around, trying to figure out where he is. After several moments, he recognizes that he's in the front yard of Club Camelot in New Alexandria. As he stands to his feet, wobbling uneasily and drunkenly about, he shields his eyes against the light. Although the skies are overcast, the light is nearly blinding to his eyes, and he hears ghostly sounds through the steady rainfall: the sounds of children laughing and playing, blending with the squeaking of a playground swingset, all of these mixing into a surreal mixture of haunting ambiance that, combined with the gloomy, grayed-out day, thrust the Commander into a dreamlike state of euphoria...what was going on? He is vaguely aware that he is still sleeping in the real world, he can't feel the rain or the chilly air, marked by the group of passerby clad in winter jackets standing around looking towards the sky. His body is still warm and comfortably numb, and he is vaguely aware that he is dreaming._

 _As he walks around to the backyard, the cheerful music of playing children melts away into catcalls and taunts of adults. As Alex continues stumbling around, he hears the violent screams and verbal abuse of Spyro and Piermont echoing through his head, omnipresent like everything else...they are going off on Ruby again. A very grim, dark feeling takes over Alex's body, and he's suddenly very afraid...something bad is happening, or is_ going _to happen. He finally reaches the backyard, where dozens of the military club's occupants are all standing around with their eyes to the sky. Shielding his eyes again the blinding light, he looks to where everyone's attention is turned, and his heart sinks at what he sees. Ruby stands on the western balcony of Suite 1, looking down over the crowd, and even from this distance, he can tell that she's upset and depressed._

" _You are worthless" Spyro taunts, his voice omnipresent, "The only one who ever loved you was Alex and he's gone!"_

" _It's_ YOUR _fault he's gone anyway!" Piermont snarls, voice_ also _omnipresent, "He put himself in prison to save_ YOUR _sorry ass! He should have let them kill you!"_

" _I didn't mean to..." Ruby's voice says, small, hopeless, and timid, "I'm sorry..."_

" _Your fucking apologies won't get him out of there you! Nobody wants you! Don't you get it? Nobody likes you!"_

" _RUBY!" Alex screams at the top of his lungs, although nobody seems to hear or even acknowledge him. "Wait! Don't do it!" and he hurries into the club to try and stop her. He finally reaches the balcony, just as Ruby takes a step forward and falls. "RUBY! NOOO!" he run to her, to catch her as she's falling, but he is unable to get there in time, and as she finally reaches the ground..._

...Alex's eyes snapped open and he blinked the sleep away, sitting up and examining his surroundings. He shook his head, trying to shake the dream away, and he sighed with relief...it _was_ a dream, there were no aspects that hinted at it being a vision. Ruby whined uneasily in her sleep, shifting positions, and turning to face his mate, Alex could see that she was distressed...had _she_ been the source of the dream? The Commander gently placed a hand on his sleeping mate's body, her muscles stiffened beneath the contact and an electrical jolt shot through his body, thrusting him into her dreams. As he had thought, she had been the source of the grim experience, and upon returning to the real world, he gently shook her awake.

She started with a jolt, frantically blinking around, crying softly, and upon seeing Alex sitting beside her, sending her a concerned look, she rolled into him, burying her head in his chest. The Commander laid back down, gently petting Ruby, calmly and quietly singing to her in a soothing tone. As he cradled his delphinic mate, her warm body seemingly melted into his arms and she lost all resistance in his grasp. "I...won't do that," she whispered sorrowfully, "Don't worry...I won't do anything stupid like that ever again..."

"I believe you," Alex replied, hugging her and kissing her lightly, "I believe you..."

Sam unlocked the door to his tiny cabin, located in the middle of the wilderness several miles outside of Newcastle, shoving it open with his shoulder and stepping aside to let them in, "Welcome to my study, sorry there isn't much room."

The cabin was very small, but cozy, and it was cluttered and packed with stuff, although it was at least neat and organized. The walls were completely covered in bookshelves, each one filled with old, musty books. The desk was an old, oak, beat-up one that appeared as if it had been salvaged from a junkyard, with an old desk lamp attached to one corner and a soft, black, leather computer chair on the other side. Only one wall wasn't lined with books...instead this one was lined with maps, photographs, and news clippings, as if Sam had been trying to piece something together. The cabin had no air conditioning or heating, relying on a oscillating fan and a portable heater in the corner.

Sam gently placed his laptop on the desk, plugging it into the outlet on the wall, and not looking up as he booted it up, he asked, "So what exactly are you looking for?"

Alex replied, "I need everything you know about the Lifehunter and his relationship with this..." and the Commander pulled the _Libro Morturom_ from his satchel, placing it on the desk.

Sam's eyes widened as he observed the book and gently touched its runed cover, "Where did you get this?"

"From a terrorist-run dig site in Afghanistan..." then, "And we found this...medallion called the _Sigil of the Bound_ ," Alex fell silent for a moment, trying to find a way to explain the experience. "This is gonna sound crazy but...we woke up in the past, specifically in the year 1997, during the Battle of Charity Hill between the Green and Tan Armies, we found the _Sigil of the Bound_ , apparently the key to unlock that book, in the fortress down there...but we lost it to this demonic man, who took it from us and sent us back to the present, escaping in the process. Now, what is so damn important about this book?"

"Archdemon Deitus the Immortal, also called Archdemon Deitus the Lifehunter or just the Lifehunter, he was the immortal son of the old archangels Vitam and Messorem, that's the angels of life and death respectively. The story is that he betrayed his pa and joined the devil during that big rebellion in Heaven. As punishment, he was banished to Hell using that book, called the _Libro Morturom,_ and the book was sealed using the _Sigil of the Bound._ "

"Does this event called the 'ascension' ring any bells? Does it have anything to do with Deitus?"

Sam frowned, "The Ascension of Deitus, the name of the apocalyptic event that will destroy something called the Base World. Don't know too much about it, I'm still trying to decipher what it means," he nodded towards his computer, "It's some ancient language, I've spent the last eight years trying to translate it from my own little Rosetta's stone. Hell, I can't even read or pronounce this fookin' thing."

Alex decided to check out the open photographs on Sam's computer, seeing unusual runes, like those seen on the surface of the _Libro Morturom_. Necrodusk suddenly spoke, _It's an ancient form of Draconic, used by residents of Purgatory, and to some degree, Hell._

 _Can you read it?  
_

 _No...this was commonly seen as a 'low' language, spoken by the 'lesser beings' like Humans and the lowest angelic ranks during my time. We used the 'high' language, as did other archangels, most of the angelic ranks, and God Himself. I can make out a select few phrases, but nothing more._

 _Awesome, what do they say?_

 _Nonsensical jargon without context. The problem with this language...a rune's definition can have dozens of different meanings depending on the context of the phrase its used in. Example, the rune for 'ascension', can mean 'freedom', 'resurrection', 'life', 'open', 'promotion', and various others. The title of the event is_ avendos des deitom, _which itself has...twenty-seven different meanings. In this context, the human is right, it means Ascension of Deitus...the name of our son..._

Alex glanced over towards Ruby, standing in a corner by herself, wearing a concerned expression. He wondered how she was feeling about all of this. The dolphin tended to worry unnecessarily about things, and given their foe's relationship to the two of them, Alex hoped she was taking it okay. When her bright, blue eyes finally met his, she smiled shyly, as if confirming to him that she was all right. He still couldn't help but to feel sorry for her, there was a lot going on lately, between the stress of Alex and Terrias' impending incarceration, the return of Alex and Ruby's wrathful son, and the apparent proximity to the literal apocalypse, the Commander only wished that he and Ruby could run off together, to stay with each other and live out the rest of their lives together until the world finally reached its conclusion.

Alex's thoughts were returned to the present by a slight, quake-like rumbling around the room and a distant boom, like low thunder. The cabin lights flickered briefly before cutting out, and Sam swore, "Great...fookin' electricity!"

The world darkened considerably, and worried, Alex walked over to one of the cabin's windows, brushing aside the curtains to peer outside. It was almost as dark as night out there, confusing Alex, and upon checking his phone, he realized it was a little past ten in the morning. It was foggy outside, with visibility very low, and the mist held an almost greenish tint to it, "Hey, Sam...do you normally get sky-darkening fog?"

"No..." he replied, walking over to the Commander. Upon viewing the sight outside, his mood shifted and Sam slowly stepped back towards his computer desk, shaking his head in disbelief, "Oh no..."

"What?" Alex asked, and as another quake-like rumble shook the building, "Sam!? What the _fuck_ is going on!?"

"Quickly!" the Irishman exclaimed, opening a closet door and pulling out stacks of unfolded boxes, "Start packing shite!"

Alex remained by the window, looking outside as Ruby stepped beside him, wrapping her fin around his hand. A black, humanoid shadow lumbered around drunkenly in the mist, stopping in place occasionally to twitch uncontrollably before continuing its patrol.

"Get away from the window!" Sam hissed in a low voice, "Close the curtains! We need to hurry!"

"Sam, what the hell is going on out there!?"

"He's here! Hurry and help me pack this shite! I hope you have a ride out of here!"

"We do, yeah..." Alex replied, "We have a Hornet waiting in town...why?"

"Hope you have room for me and all my crap, they've found us, and it won't be too long before he shows up!"

"Who are you talking about? What's found us?"

" _Filios Diaboli_! Deitus' honor guard!"

"And who are you so fucking worried about? I thought Deitus wasn't free yet?"

"He's not! But if _Filios Diaboli_ has Thralls wandering around, Vergil is nearby! Enough questions now, I'll explain later, but we need to move our arses!"

"What can I do?" Ruby exclaimed.

"Dolphin, get downstairs into the cellar and go grab all of my gas masks, I might have enough for everyone here, not sure how we'll fit them over you dolphins, though."

"They can take on human forms," Alex replied, stuffing books and binders into the boxes that Sam had pulled out.

Once everything was packed and ready to go, Ruby returned with the gas masks, and as everyone grabbed one to put on, Sam said, "Thank Christ I overstocked...whatever you do, do _NOT_ breathe in that mist!"

"What is it?"

"Anyone who inhales it turns into a Thrall, a person that has been possessed by _Filios Diaboli!_ " he leaned up against the door, preparing to head outside, "Listen, when we get out there, we need to get to my car and try to sneak past those Thralls."

"Are the Thralls what those shadow people wandering around out there are?" and Alex peered out the window, noticing that several more shadows had appeared from the fog, patrolling around the area.

"Yes! Are you ready?"

"Ready as we'll ever be," Terrias replied.

"Good, one the count of three, we run...1...2...3!" Sam opened the door, racing outside, the rest of Alpha Company in tow. They managed to get to his car without attracting the Thralls' attentions, but upon throwing open the trunk to pile the boxes into the back of the minivan, slamming the door shut, all of the ghastly, pallid, possessed humans' heads snapped up to face the group, eyes glowing a brilliant, neon green. They snarled in an animalian screech, sprinting impossibly fast towards them, limbs flailing about as if they were undead. "OH _SHITE_! Get in! GET IN!"

The smaller members of Alpha Company piled into the vehicle, with the faster ground-based troops already sprinting ahead towards the airport. Upon turning on the vehicle, Sam instantly slammed the pedal to the floor and the car rocketed off, screeching and leaving a skidmark in its wake. Alex, laying in the back seat up against Ruby, Sapphire, Terrias, and Aria peered outside through the back window, watching in horror as the sprinting Thralls managed to _actually_ keep up with the excessively speeding vehicle. His eyes widened, "Oh sweet Jesus..."

"Fucking hell!" Aria exclaimed, "And I thought the _Infected_ were fast!"

"I hope to Christ that cloud hasn't settled over the town...anyone exposed to it is converted into those...things!" Sam exclaimed, in panic. A few minutes later, the cloud abruptly dissipated and the Thralls seemed to vanish into thin air once reaching the end of its reach. Sam slowed his car to normal speeds and everyone inside tried to calm their nerves.

"That wasn't fun..." Alex said, "Jesus fucking Christ...that scared the shit out of me."

Suddenly, the road in front of them buckled and snapped, glowing red cracks spider-webbed across the ground from the broken asphalt, spreading out across the land. " _Now_ what's happening!?" Ruby asked.

Off the road to their left, Alex watched as a black, smoky mist seeped out from the ground, crawling across the dirt before gathering right beside the road, collecting to form a solid mass...the same man who had bested them in Charity Hill. He grinned maliciously towards them, as if identifying them before breaking into a jog, soon evolving to a sprint, chasing after them.

"Who the hell..."

"Vergil!" Sam exclaimed, peering through the review mirror at the pursuing figure.

"Who the hell is Vergil!?" Alex asked.

"A multiversal and Deitus' personal lapdog! As long as Deitus is locked in Purgatory, he has to rely on his best mate to break him out!"

"He's catching up on us..." Terrias hissed, "Put the pedal to the fuckin' metal, Sam!"

"I'm trying!" the Irishman exclaimed, eyes darting towards the speedometer, "She's going as fast as she can!"

The ground buckled and cracked beneath them, beginning to break and fall away revealing a massive, fifty foot drop into a pol of swirling flowing magma. "HOLY SHIT!" Cynder exclaimed peering out the window as the vehicle barely managed to keep up with the collapsing ground. Thunder boomed and lightning flashed around them as Alex peered out his own window, watching the sky darken into a deep, bloody crimson. Hundreds of meteors punched through he cloud cover, falling towards Earth, and around them, the projectiles crashed into the ground, further breaking apart the land to reveal the fatal drop into the torrential sea of magma and hellfire below.

Behind them, Vergil easily managed to leap the gaps he created, keeping up his swift sprint towards them, slowly gaining on them, even as Sam flew at the fastest speeds his vehicle could go. Now, he was also lobbing explosive fireballs towards the fleeing vehicle, and Alex was stunned, never before had he seen such advanced pyrokinesis. A meteorite punched through the clouds ahead of them, crashing into the road and creating a wide gap between them and the road beyond, trapping them on an island surrounded by the ever growing sea of magma. "FUCK ME!" Sam exclaimed, ramping off the island and narrowly landing on the other side of the gap. His car swerved to avoid the meteorites, and now pillars of fire and stone burst from the ground to halt their progress.

 _You have something that belongs to me!_ an all-too-familiar voice declared telepathically, assaulting their minds.

Leaving the foothill plains into the forests surrounding Newcastle, the escaping group were greeted by the apocalyptic sight of the trees completely engulfed in raging flames. They crossed over a collapsing bridge, watching as, like something straight out of the Book of Revelations, the lake beneath them turned a deep, crimson red, and dead fish dotted the surface.

 _I've got the Hornet_ , Piermont telepathically informed them in a cold voice, _Get your asses to the airfield...we're busting out of here_.

Now in Newcastle, that misty cloud had once more settled over the world, and Thralls charged towards the vehicle, even as the city around them collapsed into the fires burning below. Sam didn't lighten up his speed, running down anyone he couldn't dodge. Up ahead of them, the airstrip came into view, isolated on its own island and surrounded by trenches falling down into the ocean of magma below the surface. The platform upon which it sat was sinking forward, leaving the rear end of it jutting into the air, the Hornet hovered above the rapidly falling ground, and Sam tried to aim his approach for a leap of faith into the back of the waiting machine.

Fireballs exploded around them as Vergil attempted to strike his target with his highly advanced and incredibly powerful pyrokinetic abilities, and Sam found it difficult to line up the jump as he was forced to swerve to avoid the pursuing demon's attacks. Finally, as the road ran out ahead of them, Sam took the risk to line up his jump, and they ramped off the platform, soaring through the air. Beneath them, the Hornet struggled to keep up with their momentum, attempting to catch them until they finally crashed into the back of the machine, knocking around everyone inside. The van's nose struck the surface of the Hornet's lowered ramp, tumbling into the passenger and cargo hold, coming to a rest just inside, upside down. Keisha, rocketed out of the cockpit of the machine, skirting the crashed van and breaking the mechanism on the ramp.

"Close that door, Pierre!" the cheetah snarled, and with a violent dive of the Hornet's nose, the loose ramp slapped up into the vehicle, jamming itself closed. One-by-one, the occupants of the van clambered out of the wreckage, and Alex limped over to one of the windows, collapsing in the seat and peering outside. As Newcastle sank into the hellish sea below, Vergil disintegrated into mist, sinking into the ground and vanishing from sight.


	16. Chapter XV: Revelations

_**Chapter XV**_ **:**

 **-''Revelations''-**

 **-New Alexandria, Montana-**

 **- _16 November 2015_ -**

 **- _0520 Hours_ -**

Alex let himself into the mansion study where Sam was hard at work at his computer, surrounded in open books. Much like the rest of the mansion, the study appeared as if it had been ripped straight from the 18th or 19th centuries in its design, filled with antiques. The fireplace was lit, providing warmth against the snowy, winter morning outside. The smell of fresh-brewed coffee permeated the air, soft Johannes Bach played from the phonograph pushed up against the window, and the boy himself appeared as if he was was struggling to stay awake, even with the coffee flowing through his veins. "You look tired," Alex began.

Sam nodded, "Been up all night trying to figure this shite out...it's quite hard to decipher."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Not unless you can magically gift me knowledge on this language."

"What are you trying to figure out?"

"This whole Ascension of Deitus event."

"Where's the book?"

"Aphrodite's working on everything related to that, at her insistence, she says she's coming close to figuring out the secrets on how the book and the rituals related to it work...she's making a lot more progress than I am."

"Any word on your family?"

Sam nodded, "Yes, they're all safe...thank Christ. Most of Ireland may be a fiery crater now, but we got lucky."

Alex took a seat across from the boy, crossing his legs and leaning back in the armchair, asking, "So...what can you tell me about this Vergil character."

Sam straightened to face Alex, taking off his glasses and leaning back, pouring himself a fresh mug of coffee and stirring creamer and sugar into it, "Well, let's start with _what_ he is. Vergil is an ancient creature, he predates even the angels and demons, called a multiversal, and is incredibly powerful. Multiversals were said to just...come into existence in the _Inner Dimension_ , a sort of pocket between these two capstone universes called the Omniverse and the Base World."

"Yeah, I know all about the Base World and Omniverse."

"Then you already know more about it then I do. Anyway, because they aren't tethered to any particular universe or reality, multiversals are capable of using any and every power the world they go to has to offer. If telepathy exists in this universe, the multiversal can use it, if time travel exists, they can use it, et cetera, et cetera. They also possess the ability to travel to any reality, time, or world they desire."

"Oh, great...so there's more than just him?"

"Well...here's the thing. Multiversals are _thought_ to be extinct. One of the documents I've translated tells of a 'being of light' that descended from the Omniverse to tell the author that the multiversals, one of the universe's biggest threats, were an extinct race, since they cannot reproduce, they're not born, they simply _are_. Vergil is a unique example of one and is likely a disgraced multiversal, since they generally do not make friends or acquaintances, _especially_ with angels, demons, and mortals, all of which share them as a common foe. Somehow, Vergil forged a friendship with Deitus and is said to be the one that refined the archdemon's Lifehunt ability, inherited from his mother, Vitamel, the fallen Archangel of Life. If they are best mates, it makes sense that he would be wanting to liberate Deitus from his prison and unleash him on the world."

"What's Deitus' reasoning for returning?"

"Odds are to hunt down and slaughter the reincarnations of his mum and pap, since he resents them bitterly."

"Why?"

"He probably thinks they betrayed him when the original Grim Reaper, Archangel Messoremel, his father, cast him down to Purgatory in the _first_ place and Vitamel refused to help him. I know its prophecy, and I know it ties in some way to something called...the Reformation, I think? Still working on that part."

Alex nodded soberly, "The Reformation is when the Old Regime is reunited in full and Messorem is reborn into Heaven to spearhead the true Armageddon."

"What? How do you know that?"

The Commander smiled grimly, "Ruby and I are the final reincarnations of Messorem and Vitam."

"Oh shite...or is this some kind of joke?"

Alex shook his head, "Nope...trust me, I still don't really believe it entirely, either."

"And Ruby is..."

"That female dolphin I always walk around with, she's my friend and mate...as in lover."

Sam raised an eyebrow towards him, "I...I'm not even gonna ask," he returned his attention to his computer, "Anyway, we need to be careful. Vergil is omniscient and after that book...part of the reason I'm glad it's not in this house with us and I was glad to let Aphrodite handle it herself. You still may want to keep an eye on her, and I hope you have security on watch."

"The military district is crawling with patrols, and there is always someone in the command center, I'm sure she's fine."

"Fair enough."

"So how do we kill Vergil?"

"Eh...unfortunately, there is no known way to _kill_ a multiversal. Or if there is, only the Omniversals know about it."

"Great..."

"Which is why Aphrodite and I are working our arses off to find a way to destroy the book. Even if we piss off Vergil, he can't release Deitus."

"Pissing off an omniscient being that's capable of possessing any power he wants with the snap of his fingers and is _older than time itself_ seems like a very bad idea."

"Well, unfortunately, there is nothing else we can do. Even if he slaughters us in his rage, he can't release Deitus so...the world will ultimately be safe."

"I suppose..." and Alex stood up, heading towards the door. Upon placing his hand on the handle, however, he paused in place, calling back to Sam, "You think you could do me a favor?"

"Probably, what do you need?"

"I want you to find out anything you can on a goat demon boy named Azazel...I don't think it's the same Azazel as the original scapegoat from the Bible but...just let me know if you find anything."

"Will do...although may I ask why?"

"I'm curious," Alex replied, finally leaving the room.

Alex, with a sigh, strolled into the living room, heading towards the kitchen to fix breakfast. Upon entering, however, he was alarmed to find an unknown man sitting on the couch, arms crossed, watching a hunting channel. Instantly, Alex held his Desert Eagle towards the intruder, snarling, "Who the _fuck_ are you?"

With a sigh, the man turned off the television, standing upright and turning to face the Commander. He was about Alex's height, lanky, with short, combed forward black hair, almond-shaped brown eyes, and a black goatee. He appeared to be of early to mid thirties, wearing a clean white t-shirt, torn up blue jeans, and well-worn black boots. He wore an arrogant smirk and seemed as calm, cool, and collected as ever.

"Last time I'm askin'," Alex hissed, "Who are you and what the fuck are you doing in my house?"

"Why can't you just say hi like a normal person?" he replied in a proud, borderline arrogant voice, with a faint, Southern accent, retaking his seat on the couch, "Anyway, I'm your newest recruit."

"Bullshit," Alex hissed, "I wasn't aware of this."

"Probably not, but General Heinrich says that 'cause I passed the Gauntlet, I'm Alpha Company now."

Reluctantly, Alex lowered his handgun, "Bullshit, _nobody_ passes the Gauntlet."

"Well I sure did. Gave me two weeks to do it, cleared it with less than five minutes to spare," and he turned his show back on.

Furious, Alex grabbed his cellphone from the kitchen counter, dialing Heinrich. Once the man answered, Alex hissed, "Who the fuck is this guy in my house?"

"Elijah Jonathan Blake, formerly of Theta Company. Graduated the Gauntlet last night beneath his time limit, so he got transferred to Alpha, according to this little paper I have here."

"You're mistaken, _I_ choose who joins Alpha, and I did not approve of this! I _DON'T_ approve of this!"

"Well too-fuckin'-bad, Kid Commander, according to Elliot's rules, anyone who completes the Gauntlet beneath their time limit is given automatic acceptance into the ranks of Alpha Company. The only exception is if they were in Alpha Company prior, after which they get transferred to the High Command."

"No! The deal was I would get an application and have the _choice_ whether or not to bring them into my unit."

"We all know you'd just reject every app you come across were that the case. Shit, you should be happy, Vaughn, now you have a chance to bond with an actual human being for once instead of your little furry entourage."

"He ain't Alpha!" Alex snapped.

"Well, sorry to break it to ya, Vaughn, but as of 0500 this morning, he was, you'll thank me later."

"You di..." but Heinrich had hanged up on him, and the furious Commander threw his cell phone back down on the counter, fuming. He rotated to face Blake, wearing a grimace of disgust and anger.

Without looking away from his show, Elijah said, "Pretty nice dibs here...beats the hell outta the barracks I've been living in since I joined last year."

"Don't get comfortable, mate," Alex growled, and Elijah stood back up again, walking pridefully towards the Commander, chest puffed out and throwing his arms out around him, as if looking for a fight.

"What's wrong? If you're afraid I'm gonna try to cockblock you and one of your little girlfriends, I ain't a fuckin' furry. Yeah, I know all about your little harem, we _all_ do."

Alex stormed forward, throwing his arm against Elijah's throat and pinning him to the wall, "You listen here you cocky son of a bitch! This is _my_ unit, I don't care what little ragtag band of rejects you come from. _I_ make the rules around here, and _I_ dictate what goes on here!"

Still as calm as ever, Elijah smirked, "Fair enough, _mein F_ _ü_ _hrer_."

Grimacing once more, Alex dropped him to the ground, back stepping and struggling to control his temper. "Alex?" Ruby asked, hurrying down the stairs, "Is everything okay?" she stopped in the doorway to the room upon spying Elijah standing there. "Who are you?" she asked, distrustful.

"Name's Eli Blake," he replied, "I'm your newest member."

"We have another member?" Spyro asked, appearing next, with a sleepy Cynder appearing beside him, "Ah! You must be that human Heinrich was talking about last night. Congrats on beating the Gauntlet, we designed that test to fail so...pretty cool to see that someone other than a mutant can beat it."

"What!?" Alex spat, his wrath directed towards the purple dragon now, "You knew?"

"Yeah, Heinrich let us know last night...you didn't know?"

"I wasn't informed!"

Spyro smirked, "Guess Heinrich knew how you would react to the news...that's funny."

Shaking his head, Alex stormed off, heading back upstairs to his room. Ruby's eyes switched between the platform upstairs and a smiling Spyro, bemused. Frowning, she said, "You know, you don't have to be so rude, Spyro."

"Yeah? And you don't have to be such a bitchy, whiny little girl, Ruby."

Offended but trying not to show it, the dolphin only sighed, following her mate upstairs. Cynder turned an apologetic glance towards her before glaring at her mate.

"What?" Spyro exclaimed, "It's true!"

Alex stormed through his room, stepping out onto the balcony just off the master bedroom, pausing to dig out a pack of cigarettes he had hidden away in his nightstand. "Alex!" Ruby called back from behind him, hurrying towards her mate, "Alex wait up! Please?"

"Leave me alone," the Commander snarled, fuming.

"What has gotten into you?"

"It pisses me off!" the Commander hissed, "Heinrich letting some infantry nobody into our ranks without going so far as to tell me! Then he proceeds to tell everyone _but_ me apparently about his decision, when _I'm_ the fucking commander of this army! It's a load of bullshit! And now this little prick is wandering around thinking he's all high and mighty and shit, with some fucking God complex and thinks that he's better than everyone else here!"

"Alex, calm down..." Ruby replied softly, placing a fin on his shoulder and attempting to soothe him. His muscles tensed beneath her touch, and she rested her head on his shoulder, "It's okay..."

"I'm sick of you and me being treated like we're nothing," he snarled, "It's not fair...and I can't even trust anyone here to leave you alone when Terrias and I are sent off to prison."

"Lucy has been helping me learn to take care of myself," the dolphin replied soothingly, "Don't worry."

"I do worry..." Alex sighed, "You're my family...and you and Terrias are really the only ones I can trust anymore...everybody else has let me down one way or the other."

He reentered the room, opening the mini-fridge and pulling out a bottle of whiskey, pouring himself a shot.

"You can't keep beating yourself up, Alex..." Ruby said, "And although I appreciate how much you care about me...this worrying is going to kill you, and you need to stop."

"I know how they treated you last year," Alex replied coldly, "Christ only knows how they'll treat you if you're left alone again."

"I'm much stronger now," the dolphin replied firmly, "Every day, I'm getting even stronger. It's not permanent, right?"

"I don't even know, Ruby...most of the time, war criminals get executed...or spend life in max sec prisons like Gitmo."

"Give him a chance..." Ruby began in a soft voice, "He may seem a little...mean...but he's like a fish out of water...and you did threaten him with how you acted. Just...relax, take a deep breath."

"He's just another person that will try to hurt you."

"If he tries to hurt me, I'll fight back. Like I said, I'm much stronger now than I was back then...do you trust me?"

Alex nodded.

"Then trust him."

The Commander only nodded with a sigh, pouring another shot and offering it to her. She shook her head abruptly and he, with a shrug, downed it quickly.

Aphrodite poured herself a fresh cup of coffee, heading back to her desk and sipping at the drink. She was close to cracking the case, she just knew it. Pieces of the puzzle were finally starting to come together, and she was close to unlocking the secrets of the _Libro Morturom_ and how the ancient text worked. All she needed to figure out now was the specifics of the blood ritual necessary to infuse the _Sigil of the Bound_ with the power it needed to unlock the _Libro Morturom_ and release Deitus.

A victorious grin appeared across her face and she used one finger-like claw to shift her glasses further up the bridge of her snout. "Come and get me you big, bad demon," she smirked beneath her breath, no trace of her stutter present without the stress of speaking in front of someone else, "Soon, the entire world will know about your dirty laundry," she chuckled to herself, "The whole world will see me as a hero then...and Zinnia..." she blushed terribly, heat flashing throughout her body, "She'll be proud of me...maybe she'll even ask me out on a date!"

The door to her lab creaked slowly open and warm light from the rotunda outside spilled into her dimly lit workspace. She remained attentive to her computer, only noticing someone was there when a shadow fell upon her peripheral vision.

She started, "U-Uh...I-I'm working as hard as I c-can...but I-I'm getting close! Don't worry!"

She turned to face her visitor, casting the man standing before her a puzzled look. It was a cute human man, one she had seen out and about, patrolling the luxurious military club. They had shared a few passing words of conversation, but other than that hadn't yet had the opportunity to really get to know each other, "Dear, Aphrodite..." he said warmly, smiling sheepishly, "There's some things I've been...uh...wanting to say..." he approached the desk, head lowered, hand crossed between his legs.

The humanoid triceratops blushed wildly, more heat flaring throughout her body and she struggled to meet his eye, silently cursing herself for appearing so awkward and clumsy, "W-What's on y-your mind?"

"Well..." he took a seat on her desk, "Lately, I've been watching you work ungodly hours...and...well I've got a question..."

"What is it?" she smiled shyly, in a small voice.

Suddenly, his eyes flashed a deep, stabbing maroon, and he grinned maliciously revealing razor-sharp fangs. Terrified by the man's metamorphosis, her eyes widened and she cried out, falling to the ground and rapidly backpedaling. The man bowed over, moaning in pain, vomiting black smoke onto the ground before his lifeless body fell forward. Aphrodite was so frightened, she couldn't scream, and her entire body trembled as a puddle of golden fluid grew around her body. The smoky mass laying on the ground took the form of a tall, unhealthily-thin human, solidifying to reveal a tall man with long, silver hair, clad in a dark blue trench coat. "My, my, my..." Vergil chuckled, voice airy and layered, "Why are you so scared?"

"Wh-Who are you!?" she exclaimed.

"Me? Why I'm just a poor boy searching for his lost possession."

"I d-don't know w-what you're t-talking about!"

His smile dissolved, and he snarled towards the dinosaur girl, "The book...where is it!?"

Slowly gaining courage, she picked herself up, frowning, "No! I won't let a monster like you take it!" and she ran for her phone, quickly dialing Alex's number.

Vergil was swifter than her, however, and he managed to wrestle the phone from out of her control. Aphrodite turned to flee but the multiversal grabbed her by the tail, ripping her towards him. Her feet went flying out from beneath her and she fell forward to the ground, frantically clawing the tile as Vergil dragged her towards him.

"HELP!" she screamed, "SOMEBODY HELP! I'M BEING ATTACKED!"

"Silence, insect!" he hissed, and she screamed as he wrapped his cold, worm-like fingers around her jaws, prying them apart, "That book will be _MINE!_ " his body once more turned black, losing its solidity and becoming that eerie, smoky mist once again. Aphrodite screamed as the mist settled over her then, shoving its way through her mouth and nose, completely disappearing inside her body. Her breath was swept away and she was left, writhing spastically, eyes wide with fear, unable to do or say anything. After several minutes of violent, seizure-like trembling, her body stilled.

Another few minutes passed before the girl's eyes snapped open, now glowing a menacing red. Her expression twisted into one of homicidal sadism, and she slowly picked herself up, examining her limbs and body.

"Too easy," she chuckled, her voice now layered beneath with Vergil's, "Now where is that book, dear girl?"

The demon-possessed Aphrodite strolled to her cluttered desk, throwing the books and papers aside until finally uncovering the _Libro Morturom_ buried beneath.

"Excellent..." she chuckled again, gently tracing the runes with one ivory claw, "My dear friend...we are one step closer to freedom..."

Vergil returned to his former host's corpse, wrangling the soldier's satchel free and throwing it over his shoulder, gently placing the book inside.

"And so..." he began, quietly exiting Aphrodite's room on Club Camelot's 1st Floor and strolling casually towards the exit to the military club, "We are in the final stages of our grand scheme!"

He exited the club into the dark morning outside, gently closing the door behind him and strolling towards the gates, waving for the guards to open them. As he walked across the empty, lonely streets of the Military District, heading towards the nearby Residential District, still under curfew, he turned to face the starry skies, grinning wildly.

Ruby squeaked lightly and uncontrollably as Alex's gentle attention brought her to a powerful climax. Shuddering in the aftermath of their shared pleasure and intimacy, she melted into his arms, smiling happily towards her beloved mate. She nuzzled his chest and the Commander kissed the top of her forehead, hugging and cuddling with her. "I love you..." she whispered, voice almost too quiet to be heard.

"I love you, too," he smiled.

Her smile slowly dissolved, and a slight, mournful whistle blended with her sigh as she said, "I really am going to miss you, Alex..."

He stroked her head, reaching around to scratch the base of her dorsal fin, "I won't be gone forever, love."

"You don't know that..."

"Have a little hope, huh?" he hugged her tightly, "It's not over until it's over...and who knows? Maybe they'll let us off because we weren't _actually_ in control of ourselves."

She sighed again, "You know...why couldn't we have been together at a time where we had nothing to worry about...no war...no crime...no apocalyptic cataclysm...she shifted positions until she was as close to him as possible, her hot back to him, oblivious to his rapidly diminishing erection, slick with their combined fluids, poking into her lower back. He threw an arm and a leg around her, wrapping himself around her and scratching her belly. Her eyes were distant in thought, illustrating the worry and fear she felt, "Instead we're forced to spend every day in fear of the future...living as if it will be the last day on Earth we're together."

"I, for one, think that it's this that will keep us together...that will keep our love and bond as strong and invulnerable as possible. If we could just live life without a care in the world...I don't think our relationship would be nearly as close as it is...don't you agree?"

"I suppose you're right..." she replied, submitting, "After all...under _normal_ circumstances, you'd probably be like almost every other human in the world, thinking of me as just some silly, stupid, horny animal."

"Exactly," he replied, "And I don't. I don't see the fact that you're a dolphin...I see the warm, gentle attraction of a lover...you're my soul mate, Ruby. Nothing will change that, and regardless of what form you have, be it human or dolphin or dragon...I will always love you."

She smiled warmly, "You always were there for me...in some way or another."

"Of course...we make each other stronger, we help each other grow..." his gentle caress sank lower and lower until he was stroking her almost unbearably hot, wet, and still-swollen genital slit, leaking with the product of their session. She hissed and winced uncomfortably beneath the sensitive contact and he lightened his touch, "Without you, I'm just some unfeeling hardass, and without me, you're just a great big softy."

"I'm still a great big softy," she replied, feigning offense.

He grinned, kissing her head again, "And that's why I love you, Ruby...well, one of the _many_ reasons why I do anyway," and he nuzzled her, getting comfortable and starting to drift off, "You're my baby girl."

Just as they began to fall asleep, they were startled awake by the Commander's smartphone vibrating on his nightstand. With an exasperated sigh, he rolled onto his back, reaching for his phone and taking the call, "Vaughn here."

Ruby rolled to face him, grinning, startling blue eyes alight and shining with mischievous humor. They say that the eyes are the windows into the soul, and sure enough, that slight but incorruptible innocence, optimism, and kindness glowed through the dolphin's bright blue eyes. If there was one person in the world who possessed a good heart and a bright, shining soul, it was her. Alex's frown of irritation soon dissolved into one of defeat and worry, and upon ending the call, he remained fixed in place, sitting statuesque in bed, white, silky comforter barely concealing his nudity.

"Everything okay?" Ruby asked, cocking her head to the side in worry.

Without a word, Alex kicked off the covers, quickly dressing himself and storming outside, Ruby hot on his heels. "Guys!" he called down the stairs, rapidly descending into the foyer, "Get dressed, we've got a problem!"

"What's wrong?" Cynder asked, suddenly appearing in the archway leading into the parlor, Terrias and the new kid, Elijah, standing to either side of her.

"Club Camelot was attacked and Aphrodite is M.I.A."

"What?" Sam exclaimed, shooting out from his room, "What's going on?"

"Nothing you need to worry about, Sam," Alex replied, throwing on his officer's cap and a faded, scuffed, and well-worn leather coat, "You just keep going on those translations, we got some...soldier business...we need to attend to."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Yeah, finish deciphering everything we need to know about the Ascension of Deitus, I have a feeling that the time for that is nigh upon us."

"Need me to tag along?" Elijah asked, all cockiness and arrogance displayed earlier vanishing from his mood, adopting an aura of intense determination.

"I dunno, you Alpha Company?"

"Am I?" he countered.

Alex shook his head, snarling, "Get your ass in gear, Private. Sam, don't blow up the house while we're gone, we'll be back ASAP."

"Got it, Commander."

"Call me Alex."

Alpha Company stormed into Club Camelot, navigating through the busy, hybrid lobby and mess hall, making their way to the rotunda. Concentration of guards was thick around here and Aphrodite's suite had been blocked off by police tape. "What happened?" the Commander asked, stepping across the tape and into the trashed room beyond.

"Not really sure," the captain of the guard replied, currently scouring through Aphrodite's cluttered research, "Nobody heard or saw anything, Gamma Company officer was just coming down for breakfast when he noticed her door ajar, came in and saw...this."

"She just vanished? Nobody saw her?"

"Negative...she must have left pretty early."

"How do you know she was attacked? Anything missing?"

"Well..." the captain scratched his head, "We found one of our guards laying dead in the middle of the floor, there was some blood spattering around his feet, wasn't like anything we'd seen...almost like he coughed up a lung...literally. Corpse was in an advanced state of decomposition and was decomposing _very_ fast...from the moment we got him from here to the morgue, the coroner said the body had aged almost a week in what could have not been longer than a couple of hours _at most_."

"Fuck's that smell?" Piermont scowled, nose scrunching.

"Urine and sulfur..." the guard replied, "Found a puddle of urine in the corner over there, and traces of sulfur everywhere."

"Shit, Alex..." Spyro suddenly interrupted, the purple dragon was digging around Aphrodite's belongings, "The _Libro Morturom_ is gone!"

"You think Vergil did this?" Ruby asked tentatively.

"Shit, I hope not..." the Commander replied, "Else we're in trouble..." he turned to face the captain of the guard again, "Keep looking around. Let me know if you find anything...I need to go talk to someone that may know a thing or two about this."

"Care to share the contact?"

"Would rather not," Alex replied, "Not unless I'm sure...I'll get back with you if I find anything."

"SAM!" Alex roared, entering the foyer of their mansion. Terrias and Ruby flanking him, with Spyro and Cynder tagging along behind, they burst into the young man's study, finding him dozing, feet propped up on his desk, leaning back in his chair. Upon their sudden entrance, he was startled awake, falling back in his seat, "Please tell me you have something!" Alex hissed.

"N-Nothing new!" Sam replied anxiously, "I haven't made any more progress since we talked earlier. Why? What's wrong? What happened?"

Alex grinned grimly, "Vergil may have paid Aphrodite a visit...her apartment was trashed, they found the corpse of one of the guards in there, and both her and book is missing!"

"Shite...um...okay, I'll see if there's anything I can come up with...will have to put your demon goat friend on the backburner."

"That's fine," Alex said in a grim tone, "We need to figure out the steps Vergil has left, now with the book _and_ key in his possession, before Deitus is freed."

"I'll get back to work on translating the rituals as soon as I can...but this is slow progress. It's not like I can run a Google Translate search and figure out what these inscriptions mean."

"Please hurry as fast as you can, we're running out of time!"

"Fuck that," Terrias scowled, "We're _out_ of time!"


	17. Chapter XVI: The Hatchet's Funeral

_**Chapter XVI**_ **:**

 **-''The Hatchet's Funeral''-**

 **-Above Vermilion, Illinois-**

 **- _24 December 2015_ -**

 **- _2229 Hours_ -**

"Can't believe I'm doing this," Alex sighed, soaring above the skies atop Piermont's back with the rest of the Commander's Wing. Down below, the grounded members of Alpha Company raced ahead to keep up, dodging traffic, even though there wasn't that much at this hour, especially on Christmas Eve. Snow fell faintly onto the land and the world was peaceful, quiet, and solemn.

"Doing what?" Terrias asked, riding beside Alex atop his own mount, Arian.

"Spending the holidays with my family..." Alex sighed as Ruby, riding atop Piermont behind him, pressed her shivering body even closer to his own.

"Why? Sounds pretty friggin' normal to me."

"Except that we're a little over a week out from our trial..." Alex frowned, "I would rather spend as much time with the family that actually _cares_ about me and _matters_ to me over these fakers."

"You mean spending the holidays with Ruby."

"...And the rest of Alpha Company."

"With Ruby."

Alex sighed in submission before finally accepting, "Yeah, with Ruby."

The servine only chuckled, "Shit, man...never thought I'd see the day where Alex Vaughn cares more about someone else than himself."

"Fuck you."

"Can't that wait till prison? I mean, take advantage of your girls while you still can...there'll be plenty of time for you and I to get intimate in however many years we get the joy of spending at Guantanamo Bay."

"Fuckin' hope I don't get sent there...we'll be ripped to shreds."

"Nonsense, we're Alpha Company, we can own those bastards, no problem. Worst you'll have to worry about, Alex, is fighting them for the attractions of the local goat population," the servine chuckled. "Hell, you'll still probably win anyway."

Alex only glared at his friend, "That's racist."

"P.C can kiss my ass...plus people who kill themselves in the name of religion are the stupidest motherfuckers I've ever had the displeasure of knowing."

"You're also agnostic."

"Point? And I'm not racist, cause if you did the same thing, I'd call you a dumb motherfucker as well...then I'd probably take a wizz on your corpse for the lulz."

"You're into pissplay? Hot damn."

"Not as much as you...but I'm getting there," he chuckled.

"Jesus Christ," Piermont snarled, "Why don't you two shut up and fuck already."

"I'm saving myself for marriage," Terrias nodded, maintaining a straight face and somber tone.

"Yo! Reverend, can you wed these two queers so they can run off and resolve their sexual tension already? It's getting _really_ fuckin' irritating!"

"Damn, what kinda stick worked its way up _your_ ass, Pierre?" Alex grinned.

"Probably the one you put up there the other night," Terrias replied, grinning smugly.

"Nah, we haven't done that for years."

"Piss off!" Piermont snarled, "Both of you!"

Ruby shook her head, "It's sad that I don't even know if you two are joking or not."

"Good, I like to keep it mysterious," Terrias laughed, "He does, too..." then the servine asked, "So...you two experimented with that crazy shit yet?"

"What crazy shit?" Alex replied in an offhand manner, humoring the servine.

"Y'know...watersports."

All eyes were turned to the servine, who merely shrugged.

"Hey, I'm just curious."

"Does it matter if we did or not?" Ruby asked, offended.

"I'll take that as a yes, then."

"So what if we did? We're entitled to experiment with whatever the hell we feel like," Alex replied.

"Jeez, so defensive, Alex, chill out. Only making small talk and trying to figure out your turn-ons and turn-offs to make our little fun times in prison easier to plan."

Silence fell between them then, the cold unfelt, and Alex could feel his delphinic mate tense against his back. Although he couldn't see her, he could tell she was distraught or unhappy about something, and he telepathically asked her, _Everything okay, Ruby?_

 _My nerves are in a mess...that's all,_ she replied.

 _What's wrong?_

 _Stressing over a lot of things._

 _Like what?_

 _Well..._ she fell silent for a few moments, _Our rapidly diminishing time together for one. Dealing with your parents again for another...especially your mother._

 _She doesn't hate you..._ he replied, _She just hates our relationship._

Silence from her end, and he could tell from her aura that she didn't believe him. In an attempt to calm her, he sighed, humming Chicago's _You're the Inspiration_ beneath his voice. It was too quiet to be heard by anyone around him, but the sudden relaxation of her body against his, and how she pressed herself harder against him, told him that _she_ could hear it and it was succeeding in relaxing her. As he continued to hum the song to her, he found his mind wandering, pondering over the imminence of his separation, and once more he was disheartened at the realization that their time apart really _was_ getting shorter. He didn't want to spend the holidays with his biological family, he didn't even want to spend them with Alpha Company. He wanted to just run away and spend the next week or so alone with the love of his life, just the two of them, no one else.

"So..." Terrias began, "We gonna keep up the whole facade that you and Zinnia are a thing?"

Alex cast a glance towards the shivering but happy dolphin behind him, shaking his head, "No...there's something else I want to do."

"What?"

They landed just outside of Alex's family's house, dismounting their dragons and regrouping with the ground forces. Once they had done so, Alex turned to face Ruby, looking, spellbound, towards the snowy sky, her face displaying a youthful, childlike expression of wonder: she loved the snow. "You guys go on ahead," Alex replied, nodding forward, "I'll be there in a moment," and he left the group, walking over to Ruby and placing an arm around her.

She snapped out of her trance, abruptly meeting eyes with him and smiling warmly. "Merry Christmas, Alex."

He smiled back, kissing her head, "Merry Christmas, Ruby..." then he asked, "I have a little question for you..."

"Sure, anything."

"How good are you at keeping up a human form for extended lengths of time? I mean, I know you're pretty good at it, but how exhausting is it for you?"

She shrugged, "It depends...just so long as I get a few minutes here and there to rest...why?"

"Would you be able to keep a human form as long as we're here?"

She cocked her head to the side, "Your mom and dad will know it's me...they've seen my human form before."

"I know," Alex replied, "But I want to be able to spend time with you, to cuddle and hold you without them giving us these snide, demeaning looks. It'll be easier for them to stomach us as a couple if we're both human when we're out and about. If we have some alone time, then you can turn back but..."

She smiled mischievously, and in a flash of brilliant light, a tall, thin, beautiful, dark red-haired girl stood where the dolphin had been. Freckled face giving him a wide smile, and bright blue eyes alight with an unfathomable love for her partner, she was clad in a long, light blue dress, and she said, "I can do that for you...besides..." she kissed his cheek, "I want to start mating with you as a human, too...just in case someday I actually _become_ human...it won't be as awkward then when we have some couple time together."

"Thank you for understanding."

"I'll do anything for you...just like I know you'll do anything for me," and she crossed her hands in front of her waist, staring shyly towards the snowy ground beneath her, pale cheeks overcome with a bright red blush, although whether from the cold, her shyness, or a combination of the two, Alex wasn't certain.

"I love you, my little gemstone," he said, smiling and hugging her. She nuzzled him affectionately, grabbing his hand with one of her soft, small, silky hands and galloping towards the front door.

Alpha Company all cast her amused glances, and Terrias sighed, bemused, "Jesus, Alex...you and that damn dolphin of yours."

Alex chuckled, "You're just jealous cause I'm gonna be getting some for Christmas."

Ruby smiled mischievously, "Yes...I've got quite a present planned for Alex...you think your mom and dad will let me borrow the mistletoe? All I'll need then is a little help to get all wrapped up and put under the Christmas tree," she winked at him.

"That's harsh and wrong in so many ways..." Terrias replied, "Oh my God...kinda T.M.I don't you think?"

Aria countered, "Well, _Tare-Tare_ here will be getting plenty, too, so don't count yourself special," and the female servine cast her mate a seductive glance, summoning a wide grin from Terrias.

"Nobody gives two shits if you're gonna get some tail or not," Piermont scowled, "Christ, you two gonna whip it out and have a dick measuring contest next?"

"Don't give us ideas, Pierre, you might not like the results," Terrias replied.

"Fuck you, Snake."

Alex's father greeted them at the door, stepping aside to let them into the warm, welcoming living room. A fire was burning brightly in the wood burning stove in the corner, the house smelled strongly of fresh-baked cookies and hot chocolate, and Christmas music as performed by Harry Connick Junior played over the stereo system.

"Hi, everyone!" Alex's mother called from the kitchen in surprisingly good spirits.

Alex and Ruby, holding hands, were the last two to enter the house, and one look from the Commander's father told the young man everything he needed to know. Zinnia hadn't come back with them, choosing to spend time with her own family in France, and if Alex and Ruby were seen so much as holding hands even, they were risking hell from his mother.

"Where's Zinnia?" his father asked.

"She's spending time with her family in Saint-Denis..." then Alex added, "We had a chat awhile back and decided that, perhaps it would be best if we just remained friends."

"I'm sorry to hear that..." Alex's father replied, but he managed a sly, approving grin towards the young Commander and his lover. He patted Alex on the back as they passed, whispering beneath his breath, "Good start."

After the greetings were exchanged, Alex took a seat on the sofa, Ruby sitting beside him and curling against him.

His father sat down across from them, asking in a low voice, "You and Zinnia were never a thing to begin with, were you?"

"No," Alex admitted, "My heart remains firmly with Ruby...I just know how mom takes it."

"Good idea to appear human around her, Ruby."

"It was Alex's idea," the human-form dolphin sheepishly replied.

"Well, good idea nevertheless...it's much easier to accept you two as a couple when you're both human than watching a human make out with a dolphin."

"Well, all I ask is that we have some space..." Alex sighed, "Terrias and I go to trial in a little over a week...who knows how long we'll be jailed before I get to see her again."

"I understand...well, you know that western town I've been building in the backyard?"

"Yeah."

"Finally got that cabin done and furnished, you two can use that if you'd like. It's small, there's no electricity out there yet, but it does have a heater, and you'll have plenty of privacy."

Alex nodded, "Thank you."

The older man nodded, standing up and stretching, suddenly asking Ruby, "You just...you can't get pregnant in this form...can you?"

She shrugged, "I'm not sure...I doubt it."

"Worse comes to worse, I'll pick up some condoms," Alex chuckled.

Later that night, Alex was the only one awake. The rest of the household had long since retired for the night, with Alpha Company sleeping around the living room, dimly lit in the brightly and hotly burning wood stove. Alex remained sitting on the couch, staring transfixed by the flaring of the flames in the stove, as captivated by the roaring fire as he had been by the _Fiernes Curtain_ blazing to the north of New Alexandria during the Second Civil War. In fact, watching the fire, he was hit with a strange, unexpected longing for those days.

A warm figure suddenly sat down beside him, knocking him back to reality, and he turned to see Terrias relaxing beside him, "Still awake, too?"

Alex nodded, "Yeah...just remembering the _Curtain_."

The servine watched Ruby, still in her human form, sleeping against Alex, her head resting on his lap, "You're gonna miss her."

"Of course I am," Alex replied, "She's the love of my life...my soul mate."

"Well...at least you won't be in it alone...we'll be there together. I know I'm not really a replacement for Ruby but..." he leaned against Alex, "I can be a cuddler, too, if I wanted."

"I just...can't fucking believe that time's almost out for us."

"That's why it's important that we make the last few days of our freedom as special for our loved ones...especially our mates...as we can. I don't think we'll be jailed forever...but I _do_ think we'll be jailed for a long time."

"I just hope that Ruby is taken care of."

"She will be...Cynder, Aria, Dash, Lucy, and Rocket will all make sure of that, I promise."

"What about you and me, huh? Won't have anyone to take care of us."

"No...but we have each other...we'll take care of each other."

"Yeah, then we'll get some lonely fucking night where we are in desperate need to relieve our loins. We'll take care of each other _real_ well, won't we?"

He shrugged, "Nothing wrong with that the way I see it...but I see where you're getting at. It's gonna be different waking up and not seeing our mates sleeping by our sides..." he frowned at this, gaze distant, "We'll watch over each other, right?"

"If we share a cell."

"Shouldn't be _too_ hard to negotiate...I mean, we're willingly offering ourselves up for this...surely we'll be allowed some special requests."

"Thank you, Terrias...for doing this for me."

"You're my best friend, why wouldn't I? Besides, I know how much you care about Ruby...and in my opinion, this was worth it for her. She's the only one I've seen you let down your guard around...it's kinda cute."

Alex stared towards his sleeping lover, gently stroking her hair. He smiled, "I love her more than anything or anyone else in the world."

"I know..." he smiled, hugging his friend, "I know...and I'll always be there for you, just like you'll always be there for me, right?"

Alex nodded, "Of course...guys like us gotta stick together."

Silence fell between them for several moments before Terrias relaxed against his friend, resting his head on the Commander's shoulder. For an hour they remained like this, staring towards the raging fire until they both finally drifted off to sleep.

The next day, while sitting around the dining table for Christmas dinner, Alex and Terrias were noticeably quiet, keeping to themselves and not even so much as glancing towards anyone else. Ruby had noticed this earlier but had chose to give her mate his space, knowing very well the likely cause of their oath of silence. Eventually, however, Alex's father turned to face them, asking, "So what exactly happened between you two? What did you two do to break the law?"

Alex and Terrias exchanged melancholic glances before the servine replied, "Trying to give the families we destroyed last year closure."

"Seems kinda random...would have thought you two would have just run off."

"Well, we had multiple reasons for turning ourselves in," the servine continued, "It's best we don't linger on it."

"What did you do?" Alex's mother replied bitterly, staring the duo down.

Eventually, Alex hugged his still human-form mate, saying, "Ruby...some things happened and she got into trouble. They put her on death row, Terrias and I traded our freedom for hers."

"I had a mental breakdown," Ruby replied sadly, "I...killed a bunch of people...they were going to have me executed. Alex and Terrias...managed to make a deal that if they turned themselves in as Ares and Thanatos, I could go free."

"Why?" the Commander's mother pressed.

"Reasons you wouldn't understand," Alex replied, voice cold and unfeeling, "That's all I'm going to say in the matter."

She softened then, appearing hurt. As the older woman returned her attention to her meal, she stated, "You love her."

Alex said nothing, only closed his eyes and prayed she didn't dwell anymore upon it. Thankfully, she didn't say anything else on the matter, and the Commander released his unknowingly held breath. There was no way she understood his predicament, she didn't even understand his relationship with the dolphin, thinking it was nothing more than some perverted fetish. He couldn't tell her the truth about his and Ruby's ancient past...as a religious woman, and with Messorem being a subject that was _purposely_ struck from history and religion, she would likely think he was mocking the faith or mocking her. She wouldn't understand, so it was best that the details and intricacies of the actual nature of Alex's relationship with the dolphin remained unspoken. Thankfully, she didn't seem to have any intention of prying into it...maybe she had finally (begrudgingly) accepted Alex's choice in a partner.

He didn't care, all he knew was that he didn't want to incite any more fights with her. His days as a free man were growing ever shorter, and he had forced himself to come here in an attempt to bury the hatchet once and for all. Ruby seemed to sense his inner torment, as her small, soft hand squeezed his own and she subtlety leaned against him. "Brave thing to do," Alex's father spoke, breaking the awkward silence, "Sacrificing yourself for her, I mean."

Alex smirked, "And I'd do it all over again if I could."

As he said this, he studied his mother's expressions, trying to read her. It, however, remained blank and undecipherable, and he briefly considered slyly prying into her mind to figure out what she was thinking. This silence was daunting, he didn't know what to expect, and this inexplicably terrified him. These few seconds were definitely tense, but after a few more moments, the overall mood at the table lightened and the general, casual conversation returned. Instinctively, Alex caught himself trying to place a protective arm over his mate. Biting his lip, he managed to stop himself, but his mother cast him another unreadable glare, signifying that she had caught him.

The table was silenced as Alex's phone vibrated, and casting everyone seated an embarrassed grin, he excused himself, stepping out into the adjacent garage and taking the call, "What the _fuck_ do you want, Heinrich? I'm kinda busy here."

"Sorry for interruption, kiddo...but we've found your girlfriend."

"What?" Alex snarled.

"The dino girl, Aphrodite! We found her."

"What? Where?"

"I'll let you boys know once you get back here. I'll meet you at the command center in an hour, step on it, boy-o."

The call ended, Alex sighing as he rubbed his temples, feeling another migraine coming on. He reached into his pocket, popping a couple of tablets before stepping back into the kitchen, face grave. "Great..." Terrias sighed, "What did Heinrich want?"

"Us back at the command center in an hour."

A collected series of groans emerged from the rest of the group, with Cynder saying, "He _does_ realize it's Christmas, and you are gonna be gone in a few days...right?"

"Yeah, but he don't care about that shit. Job first, family and friends later..." Alex replied unhappily, "Shit...it's times like this that I miss Elliot."

"What's so goddamn important that he'd want us back?" Terrias scowled.

"He's found Aphrodite, but he won't tell us any of the details."

"Course he won't...that bastard."

"Goodbye, I guess..." Alex's father said, obviously disappointed, "Good luck in court, son."

"Yeah...thanks..." and the Commander left the room, beginning to pack up his things.


	18. Chapter XVII: Unchained

_**Chapter XVII**_ **:**

 **-''Unchained''-**

 **-Military District: New Alexandria, Montana-**

 **- _25 December 2015_ -**

 **- _1941 Hours_ -**

Alex and Alpha Company stepped into the command center of New Alexandria's military district, irritated at the summons. They were directed to sit in the war room, around the holographic globe dominating the center of the chamber, a lit in an indigo hue. Heinrich was nowhere to be found, and this further angered the already impatient Commander. They weren't allowed to take their time to come here, but Heinrich was allowed to finish whatever he wanted before he had to attend the meeting. When the general himself entered the room, he wore himself high and proud, radiating an aura of arrogance and superiority that only served to feed Alex's rabid resentment of the fellow.

Ruby, having returned to her natural form, squeezed Alex's hand, ensuring him of her presence and calming him, even if slightly. "So what's going on?" Terrias asked, disinterested.

"We've found Aphrodite."

"Yeah, but where? I hate guessing games."

"It would serve you well to learn patience, Sergeant Terrias."

"It's Major Terrias, Heinrich," the servine scowled.

"Regardless, that's not important. As I was saying, we've found Aphrodite..." he turned to face Alex, "Your girlfriend has attracted quite a bit of attention on the global news front as of late. Twelve teachers of faith across twelve different religions, rumored to connect to the Twelve Tribes of Israel, have gone missing after their respective home towns were ransacked by _Filios Diaboli_ and their Thralls. Nobody has seen Vergil quite yet, but his presence is well known."

"And...? Where's Aphrodite?" Alex asked impatiently.

"I'm getting there, Kid Commander, be patient."

Alex snarled, disliking the pet name that the general had given him.

"Continuing on...for the past several days, these men have been missing...until last night. A large number of _Filios Diaboli_ and Thrall forces massacred Vatican City in an event they are calling ' _Giorno dei Demoni_ ', or the 'Day of the Demons'. Aphrodite was seen with them, and was rumored to be leading the attack as a matter of fact. Earlier today, _Filios Diaboli_ units were spotted in Rome, shortly before we lost contact with the town. Military and government forces have departed for there to figure out what's going on...but it's a dead zone. Anyone that goes there seemingly drops off the radar."

"Let me guess, you're going to send _us_ out there?" Terrias scowled.

"Precisely, Sergeant!"

"Major..." Terrias interrupted, but Heinrich continued, ignoring him.

"Alpha Company is strong...an amalgamation of the greatest soldiers in the history of warfare and, possibly even, humankind. If anyone can explore the area, find out what's going on, and inform the very worried Italian government of what is going on in that ancient city...it's you."

"Heinrich..." Alex began, " _Filios Diaboli_ is not some little organization like the LKA or the _Maxia_...we're talking the honor guard of the fucking devil himself!"

"Alpha Company can do it," Heinrich replied, "After all, against all odds, they almost single-handedly brought down the entire Reaper Armada, no?"

"It wasn't Alpha Company," Alex replied, "It was a glitch in the hivemind that Bleu—who's not even Alpha Company mind you—discovered and exploited. Without him, Alpha would not have been able to stop the Reapers."

"Do you _really_ have much to lose, Commander Vaughn?" Heinrich queried, "After all, in less than two weeks, you and Sergeant Terrias will find yourselves behind bars for what may very well be the rest of your lives. At least if you die there, you will go out in glory, with a bang, than to rot away into oblivion in some cold, dark cell for crimes you _technically_ didn't commit."

"It's _Major_ Terrias, General Heinrich," Alex said in a cold, low voice, "And this is still suicide. Do you _really_ want to have the reputation as the man who sent Alpha Company to their deaths? This unit is legendary, almost deified by the world, especially the rest of the Terminator Militia. If word got out that we were slain in a mission that _you_ ordered, that would be one hell of a flaw on your perfect record."

"It's a risk we must be willing to take," Heinrich replied, as cool as ever, "For the greater good."

"To kill us?"

"The needs of the many trump over the needs of the few, Commander Vaughn. Besides, if you die in battle, you will be heroes, sacrificing yourselves to fend off evil's true face...hell that's one damn fine epitaph to have inscribed on your monument."

Alex fell silent then, there was no way he was going to get through to Heinrich, the general had already made his mind, and he was _more_ unmalleable than even old Elliot was when he had set his mind on something. With a sigh, Alex asked, "So when are we going out?"

"We have four hours to prepare before we launch our assault," Heinrich replied, looking towards the hologram, his back to the unit, "Plenty of time to get ready and resolve whatever Christmas chores you have yet to finish. Open any leftover gifts? Finish Christmas supper? But be here, in this room, at zero hundred hours...and be ready to go."

Alex turned to face Ruby, spying her and Lucy exchanged worried glances. It seemed the rest of Alpha Company fell similarly betrayed and offended by Heinrich's intention on prematurely ending their holiday. Even though Alex could see the seriousness of the situation and deep down he knew that Heinrich was doing exactly what he should...the way he approached it was still rude and insulting, especially after everything that the unit _had_ done for not just the Terminator Militia, but the entire world in general.

"Guess Christmas is gonna have to wait, huh?" Alex sighed once Heinrich had left the room.

The others replied in the affirmative, with Ruby whispering to him with a sly grin, "My gift is like wine...it gets better with age."

Alex grinned at the dolphin's attempts of seduction, she was still more than awkward about it, but he had to admire her courage and intention nevertheless. "Will I like it?" Alex asked, humoring her.

"You will love it...I promise," and she winked before standing up, extending one gloved fin towards him to help him to his feet. He accepted the offer, hugging his mate and grabbing her fin, tailing the rest of the dismissed unit.

Nothing was said as Alpha Company emerged into the slightly brightening skies of the ancient Italian city. A thick layer of unnatural cloud cover hanged low over the city, and an eerie mist clung to the air. Visibility was low, but what they _could_ see of the city below confirmed their fears. Buildings were in ruins, flames burned in pockets, and the world was eerily empty and quiet.

"Shit..." Terrias breathed, "I don't like this at all...we're walking into a fuckin' ambush, I just know it."

"Try telling Heinrich that," Alex snarled, and his phone vibrated. He checked the text message, finding it from Sam, still back in New Alexandria:

" _Watch your ass in there. There's more to the ritual than sacrificing the twelve priests._

 _Working on deciphering the rest now. Will get back to you A.S.A.P._ "

With a grunt, Alex locked and slipped his smartphone back into his pocket, popping his neck muscles. Ruby placed a cold fin on his shoulder, she was trembling, and Alex tossed his arm around the dolphin pulling and holding her close to him, attempting to comfort her. Something very bad was about to happen, and the Commander couldn't help to feel that they were already too late to prevent it.

Lightning emerged from out of nowhere, striking the turbines of the Hornet, startling everyone inside of the aircraft, already on edge from the unnatural ambiance.

"This bullshit's diving _real_ low into the uncanny valley..." Eli smirked, "Don't like it at all."

"Just another day at the office," Terrias chuckled, piloting the Hornet with Aria in the copilot seat, "Welcome to Alpha Company, the motherfucking Mutant Division of the Terminator Militia. This sums up our life pretty well, kept out of the little crap and dropped headfirst without warning into the high-risk shit. If something's too dangerous for the lesser, inexperienced, and unmutated ranks...our little band is dropped in its place with only our objectives and the equipment on our backs...half the time they don't even allot us reinforcements in case the shit hits the fan...too risky."

"I can see why they call you guys the elites now."

"Roger that."

"Thankfully," Dash began, "Our mutations make the road pretty easy for us. We're very hard to kill, even when faced with things specifically designed _to_ kill us."

"You don't get hit or suffer casualties?"

"Oh we're killable alright," Dash continued, "And we do get all the quirks of the military: we get shot, stabbed, beaten, bombed...difference between us and everyone else is that our mutations heal almost every wound we're dealt instantaneously."

"Fog's lettin' up," Terrias sighed, "Thank Christ...but watch your six. If we can see them, pretty damn sure they can see us, too."

Alex's phone vibrated again, but as he moved to check the text, their Hornet came under fire from the surface. Instantly, everyone within was on high alert, grabbing their weapons and positioning themselves to clear the ground below. While they supplied covering fire against the Thralled forces attacking them, Terrias concentrated on moving the Hornet towards the landing zone. When they finally touched down, the machine's occupants hopped out from within, Terrias, Aria, and Eli remaining inside to continued their aerial support. The unit split then, heading in separate directions to hunt down and take out the Thralled police and military forces that Vergil and _Filios Diaboli_ had claimed. Alex and Ruby stood back to back, and with an exchange of determined smiles between the two lovers, they charged together towards the looming Pantheon.

With Alex utilizing his pyrokinesis and Ruby using her hydrokinesis, the two moved in eerily perfect synchronization, watching each others backs and fending off the outnumbering and encircling shadow-demons on their approach. Upon reaching the steps of the ancient structure, Terrias called to the Commander, "Uh, Alex? Seeing a lot of activity at the Colosseum, dunno what but _something_ is going on. Can't get close because there's some kind of...forcefield over it."

"We're on our way," Alex replied.

Spyro and Cynder fought their way through the concentrated _Filios Diaboli_ forces, heading to the Colosseum. As they neared the building, the world suddenly flashed around them and time froze. The two anxiously looked around, frightened by what had occurred, when a soft, small, child's voice spoke to them, omnipresent, _No! Get away from there! It's a trap!_

Following this cryptic message, the world flashed again and time resumed. Spyro barely had time to duck beneath a Thrall's charge, sliding beneath him and completely eviscerating the fellow, showering the purple dragon in blood and gore. The two dragons exchanged confused glances, with Cynder asking, "What the hell was that!?"

"I don't know..." Spyro replied, "But perhaps we should heed it's warning..."

Alex and Ruby finally reached the entrance to the Colosseum. Thralled and more elite _Filios Diaboli_ forces were in heavy concentrations, confirming their suspicions that whatever they were hunting, it was beyond the ancient stone walls of the bloodstained amphitheater. Entering the arena was like entering a completely different world. That heavy mist saturated the area, rendering visibility so low that they couldn't even see their own limbs. "Take my hand and don't let go," Alex advised Ruby, and once he felt the cold steel of her steampunk gauntlet grab onto his hand, he continued forward, using his free hand to scan the area for any sign of enemies. The world was quiet, as if the battle had just stopped, only the wind blew, with a faint, barely noticeable drone lying beneath it all. Occasionally, ghostly, disembodied whispers, of an ancient language, swept past them in the breeze, and the eerie world was empty. Despite this, an incredibly, almost crippling darkness enveloped the area, making Alex especially paranoid.

He heard a familiar child's voice in his mind, saying, _No! Stop! Turn back! Turn back! He's expecting you! It's a trap!_

Before Alex had a chance to register Azazel's warning, he was overwhelmed with an odd, inexplicable numbness that surged throughout his body. Before he realized what was happening, he was completely paralyzed, hovering several feet above the ancient sands, his entire body numb. He cried out for Ruby upon losing the sensation of her touch, and he was carried away, deeper into the enveloping mist. His life flashed before his eyes, he was going to die, he just knew it. After all they had been through, it was all gonna end here, like this. With the young man completely succumbing to fear, and completely alone. The most terrifying aspect was that he didn't even know where Ruby was, he couldn't see her, he couldn't feel her, and with the little room he had to move his neck, he could see that she had completely vanished and was nowhere to be found.

"Ruby!?" he cried out into the emptiness, " _RUBY!_ "

Another omnipresent voice, this one deep and powerful, emerged around him, drowning out his hysterical sobs, drowning out his own thoughts, "So...our prized guests have arrived to the welcoming party...he will be so happy to see you here."

"Leave me alone!" Alex howled, "Take me to Ruby! _TAKE ME TO RUBY!_ "

"Oh, don't worry, young Messoremel..." and a rich black mist seeped from the ground, collecting into a humanoid form before solidifying, revealing the unnaturally tall, thin, and almost corpselike Vergil standing before him, "She's fine...for now..." the multiversal grinned widely, his maroon eyes staring out from his snow-white face, peering out through his long, straight, silver hair. He was twirling an ancient-looking dagger in the palm of his pale hand, his long, thin fingers moving smoothly across the hilt of the blade.

"Let her go!" Alex roared, in tears, "Goddammit! Let _ME_ go! What the fuck do you want from us!?"

"Oh, rest be assured, it's not what _I_ want, it's what _he_ wants. Who's he you may ask? Don't like playing the pronoun game?" Vergil chuckled, "Ah, but you'll meet him soon enough, soon enough. Everything is almost ready, we're just missing two little things..."

As Vergil casually strolled towards the Commander, the mist dissipated, revealing the entirety of the Colosseum's arena. Twelve bloodied men had been bound and gagged to bloody stakes planted in a circle around a small altar. All of the men had been killed, their throats slit, and Vergil approached the Commander holding a golden bowl, inscribed with beautiful runes. A brilliant scarlet fluid rested in the bowl, its color contrasting heavily with the flawless golden hue of the artifact, granting it an odd, macabre sort of beauty/ Laying on the makeshift altar was the _Libro Morturom_ , with the _Sigil of the Bound_ resting neatly beside it. Directly across from Alex, he could see Ruby hovering in a similarly restrained manner to him.

"RUBY!" Alex cried out.

"Alex!" she called back, completely in tears, "Help me! Please!"

"Aww...that's so sweet..." Vergil crooned, "Nothing like two lovers yearning for each other."

Vergil paused before Alex, reeking of death, decay, and faintly, of sulfur. With a casual swipe of his arm, Ruby floated towards the Commander, just out of reach of his grasp. She was struggling for breath, tears streamed down her face, and she was terrified. Alex could only watch, helpless as she suffered, her frightened eyes staring widely into his.

"Now," Vergil began, "Without anymore hesitation, let us begin with the celebration, hmm? A wonderful family reunion is fast approaching..." the multiversal chuckled.

"ALEX!" Dash exclaimed as she saw the Commander and Ruby coming face-to-face with Vergil. She broke into a rapid sprint, attempting to intercept. Just as she reached the entrance, however, the portcullis slammed shut, sealing her out, and with a number of swears, the pegasus struggled to pry open the gate. When this failed, she took to the wing, hoping to fly over, but an invisible barrier was domed over the arena, leaving her trapped outside. She returned to the portcullis, "Alex! Hold on! We'll figure out something!" and the pegasus anxiously looked around for some way of breaching the building.

"Deitus will destroy the world!" Alex snarled, "You will have nothing left to rule! He will bring about the end of the Base World!"

"I know," the multiversal replied offhandedly.

"You'll die! Or you'll be left in an empty void, damned to roam eternity in solitude!"

Vergil ripped open Alex's black overcoat, revealing a clean white t-shirt beneath,"Why are you telling me things I already know, Messorem? I've been outcasted for a long, _long_ time, I think it's time I finally get some rest. Deitus destroys the world and I get to sleep at last. It's all part of the plan after all. Now, you may feel a _little_ prick..." the multiversal chuckled, and he jammed the jagged, curved blade of the ceremonial dagger deep into Alex's stomach. The impact of the injury was enough to knock the wind out of the Commander, and although he tried to cry out, nothing emerged from within him. He watched in dumb silence as, like a spill onto a piece of canvas, red spread across the surface of his shirt, and his blood trickled like a faucet turned to low into the bowl. When the supernaturally clotted a few seconds later, Vergil strolled over to where Ruby was restrained.

She violently shook her head, "No! No, no, no! Please don't! Please!" but her terror-stricken voice warped into a shriek of agony as the multiversal thrust the blade into her belly, draining her blood into the bowl as well.

He grinned once again, "Yes! Everything is going according to plan! Things could _not_ have worked out better!" and Vergil walked over to the altar, placing the golden bowl upon it. The multiversal closed his eyes, chanting something in a low, nearly inaudible voice. Alex looked around frantically, trying to find a way to free himself from his invisible binds, to stop the ritual. His eyes then fell upon Aphrodite, laying in a crumpled heap, discarded at the base of the altar, covered in blood, and he was unsure if she was unconscious or dead.

When Vergil's chant ended, his eerie eyes snapped open, and he smiled once again, "Now that my blessing has been placed...let's introduce the man of the night himself!" the multiversal gently picked up the _Sigil of the Bound_ , placing it carefully into the bowl. The medallion now saturated, he placed it with every bit of care as an archaeologist unearthing a priceless relic, into the indentation in the center of the _Libro Morturom_ 's cover. Gently pressing on the bloodsoaked stone, it snapped into place, immediately beginning to glow. Vergil then proceeded to open the book, and as he did, black mist poured out form within, spreading across the floor with an audible hiss. "Deitus, my friend!" Vergil laughed, "Welcome back! We have missed you!"

Upon saying this, a beam of white light shot from the book into the skies above. The dark clouds began to circle around the beam, and a powerful, hot wind, reeking of sulfur, like that of a tornado, blew out from within the book, rapidly flipping the pages and blasting past the Commander, sweeping his breath away. Those indecipherable, ghastly whispers sounded even louder and faster now, more frantic. As Alex and Ruby turned to the skies, hundreds of massive black tentacles snaked out from the glowing white eye of the circling clouds, and a powerful, deep, male voice spoke with light humor, before breaking into amused laughter, "Free at last...now to recharge my batteries..."

The tentacles rocketed outward in every direction beyond the walls of the amphitheater, and Aphrodite slowly stirred, moaning as she picked herself up, cradling her head.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!?" Spyro howled, watching, jaw dropped, as countless black tentacles shot out from a glowing, rotating vortex in the sky above the Colosseum. The tentacles slithered passed him, and he dove out of the way as one stabbed towards him. He watched in horror as they impaled the surrounding people, and he couldn't look away as the aged thousands of years in mere seconds. Like watching a mummy's decomposition in a time lapse, their bodies shriveled, shrank and dried before finally collapsing into dust.

"Oh my God..." Cynder cried out in horror, struggling to hold onto her stomach, "What is _happening_ to them!?"

"Stay away from those things!" Spyro exclaimed, shoving her forward, "Go! Run! _RUN!_ "

"Alex!" Aphrodite exclaimed, running towards the Commander and pulling him to the ground. Upon touching down, the invisible binds restraining him seemed to disappear and he regained full control over himself once more. The dinosaur girl pulled Ruby down, and once both were free, they ran towards each other, embracing tightly.

"L-Listen!" Aphrodite began, "I-I'm sorry! H-He took over me a-and..."

"Don't worry about it right now!" Alex hissed, "We need to stop the ritual!"

"I-It's too late..." Aphrodite frowned, "I-It's already complete! H-Hurry! We need to get as far away from here as we can before..."

They were interrupted as several tentacles shot past them impaling Vergil. He cried out in pain, bearing his teeth and hissing, "What!? What are you doing!?"

Several more of the slick, smooth, oily black tentacles surged past the trio to impale the multiversal, exiting through the other side of his body in a cloud of black, smoky blood. "Sorry, friend," the voice in the sky chuckled, "I'll pay you back later...but I need a tiny bit more stable and reliable power to regain form."

Vergil howled as cracks spiderwebbed throughout his body, through white blinding white light shined through. He turned his head to the sky as his entire body, clothes and everything, turned a charcoal black, as if he had been turned to stone. White light poured from his open mouth and eye sockets, and with a ghastly scream, he exploded into thousands of tiny shards, raining like shattered glass onto the sandy floor. The ensuing explosion from his death caused the walls of the Colosseum to crumble and collapse, the world buckled and belched fiery smoke, cracking and sinking into the ground within a violent earthquake. Aphrodite shoved Alex forward, "GO!" she exclaimed, "NOW!"

The trio briskly ran towards the entrance of the Colosseum, the collapsed to pieces following the explosion. They leaped through it, hitting the ground painfully and curling as small as they could as with a deep, earthly groan, the Colosseum collapsed into a rubble, like a skyscraper being demolished. Acrid dust raced through the streets, engulfing the entire town, and coughing violently from the cloud, Alex turned to watch through burning eyes as the beam of light finally reached its end. With a blast of thunder, the last of it rocketed into the eye of the swirling clouds, the light winking out in a flash. The clouds dissolved soon after, the shadow-demons of _Filios Diaboli_ , having ceased to fight, instead staring fixated towards the Colosseum following the commencement of the ritual, suddenly collapsed into smoke that seeped into the earth, and any Thralls whose life force _hadn't_ been sapped exploded in a similar manner to Vergil, leaving only small piles of black pebbles to mark their former existence.

"Oh no!" Aphrodite howled, clutching her head in a panic, "N-No! D-Deitus! He's free! We're doomed! The wh-whole world is doomed!"

Alex, eyes wide and jaw hanging, exchanged horrifed glances with the rest of the High Command gathering around him. His lowered hands brushing against his soiled shirt, he vigorously patted where Vergil had stabbed him, feeling nothing. He lifted the shirt, finding that no trace of an injury remained on his belly. He was instantly at the stricken Ruby's side, examining her body for any wounds, but finding nothing. Alex checked his phone, finding that Sam had texted him again:

" _STAY AWAY FROM VERGIL! Along with the twelve sacrifices, he_ ALSO _needs_

 _the blood of Messorem and Vitam to open the seal!_ "

Face contorting into a grimace, Alex dialed the Irishman, "Sam...the ritual is complete."

"Shite! That's not good! The world is fucked if Deitus is free!"

"We're too late..." Alex sighed, "Vergil exploded, the Colosseum is no more, and I think Deitus is free."

Silence on the other end.

"Sam?"

The boy sighed, "Well...we're fucked then...welcome to the end of the fookin' world."


	19. Chapter XVIII: The Trial

_**Chapter XVIII**_ **:**

 **-''The Trial''-**

 **-New Alexandria, Montana-**

 **- _02 January 2015_ -**

 **- _2350 Hours_ -**

Alex stood in front of his bedroom window, staring out upon the snowy land outside. Tomorrow was the day that he and Terrias had been dreading for a long time, and this coupled with the stress of the newly released Deitus completely robbed him of sleep. He was lost, he didn't know what to do or say, he was going to lose his comrades and leave them alone to deal with an evil that they couldn't stop. At the same time, he feared of what would become of Ruby, remembering all-too-well what she had been forced to deal with under the overwhelming 'stress' of the Harvest. Although he agreed that his delphinic mate had become stronger since the previous year, he didn't want to leave her to deal with the abuse again.

Ruby, Cynder, and Terrias had all tried to ease his worries about the dolphin's future by reassuring that she would be treated well, but he still didn't know. Dozens of questions surged rapidly through his head, countless scenarios played out where something happened and Ruby snapped once again, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not shake these thoughts away. Terrias would be there with him, at least preventing him from becoming too lonely...but he didn't want to leave Ruby, not again. He promised he wouldn't, and here he was, about to break that promise.

"Ruby..." he sighed beneath his breath, "Don't wait for me...find someone else, someone that will take care of you and treat you right..." he shook his head, "This...this is my fault, my punishment. You don't deserve to suffer with me, you've already been through so much."

One desire suddenly surfaced, trumping every other feeling he had: to be with her, the spend the last hours of his freedom with the one he loved. Even if he didn't hold her in a mating embrace, he needed to feel the skin-on-skin contact, to _feel_ her _thereness_ , for it was one of the last times he would be able to for a long, _long_ time. He also would not be able to protect her any longer, and this was one of the most painful realizations. He felt the overwhelming need to protect the dolphin, to keep her safe from harm and defend her with his life...she was so soft, so innocent, so youthful and vulnerable. To think that he was no longer going to be there, to shelter her from the worst of what was in store for them.

" _Ruby..._ "

No one else had made him feel more important, no one had given him a stronger reason to continue on than the sweet smile and loving eyes of his delphinic mate. She had unknowingly saved his life, and he owed her so much. He stroked the tiny capsule tied to the necklace around his throat, a vial of her blood she had given him the previous year, and something that he had forgotten until recently, wearing only to ease his stress.

He turned around to face his sleeping mate, curled into a ball on the bed, smiling in her dreamscape. No nightmares tormented her sleep tonight. He couldn't help but to smile, approaching her and gently stroking her smooth back, scratching the base of her dorsal fin. "Oh, Ruby..." he frowned, "If only you knew just how much you meant to me...if only I could find a way to describe my love for you. You've saved my life and soul, even though you weren't aware...and despite the fact that I'm doing much the same for you...I can't help but feel unaccomplished. I owe you so much...but I have failed you. I never realized just how weak I was until the day that our eyes first met. You made me stronger, you showed me my humanity, you showed me how to love...and now that I realize that in a few days time, I will no longer wake up to see you there, that I will no longer get to see you smile, or the overwhelming love in your eyes in the aftermath of our sessions...it cuts deeper than any other wound.

"I knew...the moment that I first saw you back then, as a little calf...I _knew_ you were the one, I _knew_ that our destinies were intertwined...and I _knew_ that you and I were meant to be. I wouldn't trade you for anything or anyone else in the word. I don't want to be jailed, not because of my loss of freedom...but because I will lose _you_...I _need_ you, even though I don't openly admit it, I really do. Without you I'm nothing, no one, you make me whole, you complete me, you give me a reason to keep fighting, to keep living...I don't want to leave your side, I don't want to lose you again..." he squeezed his eyes shut against a wave of tears, "I _love_ you..."

Alex and Terrias were escorted by a number of police officers into the packed courtroom. Both of their heads were hanging low, their eyes remained closed, and the world was eerily silent. Once they had been led to their seats, they looked around, both disheartened to find that news cameras were filming the trial from various vantage points. "Looks like we're gonna have the trial of the century..." Terrias sighed.

"Shit...I didn't think they'd make this a national case."

"Alex, we've murdered thousands of people...regardless of whether or not we were brainwashed, this is an important case for the world..." then, with a grim smile, the servine asked, "Still think negotiating Ruby's freedom was worth it?"

Alex nodded firmly, "Of course."

Terrias turned to face the way they had come in, nodding, "The fuck is this?"

Alex turned to face where his friend was, spying a small, pudgy man, with thinning, greased back brown hair, accusing green eyes, and a cocky smile. He waddled in, standing where the plaintiff would normally be. Their lawyer, a tall, thin, aging man, with short, silver hair, gray eyes, and a warm smile, walked into the room, standing beside them. "Everything okay?" he asked them.

"Good enough, I suppose...for being in a trial we're likely gonna lose," Alex scowled.

"Well, I'll do everything I can to help you. My name is Arnold Lightman, I will be your lawyer throughout this case," he thrust out a hand, which Alex shook.

Once everyone was seated, the judge took up his post, and the short man took the stand, saying, "Last year was one of terror and hopelessness. Sentient machines, commanded by two statuesque generals slaughtered almost four billion people around the world. Although those machines have fallen, those dark times have passed, their mark has been left upon history, and the world is slowly recovering from their genocidal rampage. Today, we have 'Ares' and 'Thanatos' here with us, and the people of the world will finally have a chance to find closure and sleep easily, now that these two heartless, soulless killers are off the streets. Here is our chance to find peace for all of those whose lives were tragically cut short."

Alex and Terrias turned to face the jurors, noticing that they seemed approving of the introduction, a few of them even cast the duo scornful, hated looks. Truly, this wasn't a mock trial, like one General Mason had put them through a couple of years earlier...this was the real thing, and they both had a feeling that the case would not veer in their favor. Suddenly, their lawyer took the stand, adjusting the tie on his clean white shirt, and saying, "Those monstrous machines captured countless people, twisting and corrupting their minds, stripping them of their free will and enslaving them to commit those atrocious acts. The enslaved were abused physically and emotionally, put at the extremes of their limits, indoctrinated, and were tortured until they broke. Commander Alex Vaughn and Major Terrias were two unlucky victims to the incomprehensible tortures of the Reaper Armada. Both fought to the ends of their strength until they could fight no more, and their freedom was wrestled away from them sapping their internal strength to resist, and they lost everything they cared about. They were enslaved, brainwashed, they had no control over their bodies and minds, no awareness of their actions. They, too, have families, children, loved ones who were slaughtered by those oppressive machines. They were given scars, both physical _and_ emotional, that will never heal, that will haunt their lives until the end of time. To treat them as scapegoats to the atrocities of the Reapers will only succeed in shattering even _more_ families beyond repair."

Once more, Alex and Terrias turned to gauge the jury's reactions to their lawyer's opening statement, finding that looks of genuine sympathy flashed briefly on their faces. "Maybe we have a chance after all..." Terrias whispered, and Alex sighed in relief.

As the day, and the trial, continued on, the case against them slowly began to overpower their defense. By the time the court dismissed for lunch, the situation seemed hopeless to Alex and Terrias. Even though they weren't in control of themselves during their tenure as Reaper generals Ares and Thanatos, they were shown no sympathy. The blood of the dead still stained their hands, and no one was about to let them get away with it. The most damning moment in the case was the comparison to the many mentally impaired murderers throughout history: men and women who killed and were convicted, even if they weren't necessarily in control of themselves at the time. As their future became bleaker, Alex spared a glance towards Ruby, in her human form, sitting within the crowd, her expression become increasingly despaired as the day dragged on...she, too, recognized that they stood no chance, and her visible pain cut Alex to the bone.

As the court emptied for lunch, Alex remained in place, head buried in his hands. "Let's go, Alex," Terrias suggested, offering a paw to the Commander.

Alex only shook his head, "Not hungry..." he sighed, "This...whole situation sickens me."

"It's not over yet."

"No, but the cards are _not_ in our favor...they'll convict us...I just know it. God help us..."

They were suddenly interrupted by their lawyer, who had been conversing with the judge, "Come over here," he said, beckoning them.

Exchanging glances with each other, Alex and Terrias reluctantly approached him, and the man said, "Okay...so we might have a way to clear you two."

"Really?" Alex's mood lightened, "What is it?"

"I know this will be hard for you to hear, but hear me out for a moment, would you?"

"You might as well just tell me, nothing can get worse than the situation we're already in."

"Fair enough...we can settle this case against you, Mister Vaughn, but you must plead guilty to bestiality and face the punishment for that.

Alex tensed, "What's the punishment?"

"Registration as a sex offender, ten years of prison without parole, and a twenty-five thousand dollar fine."

" _What!?_ "

"However, if you are convicted of these killings, you could face multiple life sentences without parole, and possible capital punishment."

"Fucking hell..."

"What about me?" Terrias asked.

"If Mister Vaughn goes for the alternative,you will be released. There's not much they can do to you anyway, considering you are not recognized as a human being. At the worst, they'll push for euthanization, but that's a very low chance."

Alex's heart sank, his jaw dropped, and he felt ill and numb. "What will it be, Alex?" Terrias asked sympathetically.

"There's no other way?"

"I'm afraid not. At this rate, the chance of winning this case is very low, but what you decide to do is up to you."

The Commander sighed, "I...I don't know..."

"At least if you plead guilty to your zoophilia, you'll be a free man again in ten years or so."

"I...guess you're right, Terrias."

"What will you do?" Lightman asked.

"I guess I'll go for the alternative..."

The man nodded understandingly, "I'll let them know," and he began to walk away.

"Wait!" Terrias called, and Lightman stopped to face the servine, "I'll go with Alex, too...bunk us together if you can."

"Why?" Alex asked, astonished.

"Because," Terrias began, "I know you won't survive in prison by yourself, _especially_ with your notorious rep. They'll rip you to shreds. At the least, if I'm there, I'll be able to keep you safe."

They returned to the courtroom after lunch, where the alternative punishment was suggested. Alex held his breath through this, relieved when the jury agreed to the terms and the judge closed the case, giving the duo seven days until the sentence began. The crowd separated soon after, with Ruby running up to her mate, leaping into his arms and hugging him tightly. "Alex...what's going to happen now?"

"Ruby..." he replied, smiling sadly towards her, "Looks like I'll be going away for awhile..."

The dolphin shook her head, "No...no, no, no! There must be another way! There must be _something_ we can do!"

"There's nothing we _can_ do," Terrias sighed, "It was either this or getting locked away for the rest of his life. At least by going this route, you two will be reunited again in ten years or so."

"If Deitus doesn't destroy the fucking world first, that is," Alex said, rubbing his temples, "PETA better be fucking happy...they finally won their goddamn war."

"Alex..." Ruby began shyly, "Will we...will we ever be able to mate again?"

Alex fell silent and Terrias patted him on the back, "Maybe if you become human during your sessions...but the safest route would probably be to just...move on. You two can still love each other but..." he shook his head, "Probably won't be able to consummate that love anymore."

Ruby frowned unhappily, "But..." she sighed, tearing up.

"Ruby..." Alex hugged his mate, tightly, kissing the top of her head, "Everything will work out in the end, don't worry."

"But ten years...and we'll never mate again..." 

"Stay strong, Ruby," he replied, "Just like you promised me you would."

"But I want to...to _be_ with you, Alex! I want you to love me, to mate me, to pleasure me...and I want to do the same to you. We love each other!" she frowned angrily, "Why can't the world just understand? Why can't they leave us alone? We love each other! We should be allowed to be together! There must be something we can do...some license or some form... _something_ that can exempt me. I'm every bit human as everyone else! Just because I'm a dolphin everybody thinks I'm just a stupid animal! I never _asked_ to be born one! I'm _NOT_ a stupid animal!" she collapsed in tears, "Damn it all! I'm human! I'M _HUMAN_!"

Alex and Terrias awkwardly glanced around, relieved that most of the courtroom was empty, and those that were left seemed to be two involved in their own personal conversations to pay attention.

"I'm human..." Ruby continued, voice small, childlike, and barely audible, "I'm not a stupid animal..."

"I love you, Ruby..."

"And...and I love you..." she sniffled, "But nobody else understands that, and because of the arrogance in the world, we can never be together again. Why must we be hated so much? Why can't everyone just leave us alone? I've lost everyone I've ever loved, everything I've ever cared about. You are my world, Alex...I can't lose you, too...not again. I just...I just want to be accepted...I want _us_ to be accepted as a couple...I want people to recognize the love we share...to see that it's mutual. You're not _abusing_ me, you're not _hurting_ me, I _know_ what mating is, I _know_ what I'm doing! I _chose_ you as my mate, we love each other, but nobody else understands that...they don't see me as a person, like you do, they see me as just another stupid animal! They don't see us as ancient lovers reunited, destined to be together, they see a human mating with a stupid fish! Even when I tell them you're not hurting me, that I want it, that I enjoy it, that I _need_ it...they just...keep saying that I'm just a brainwashed slave, that _they_ know what's best for me."

"Ruby," Alex began, "I will always love you...I'd hope that we don't need to be in the throes of sexual pleasure for you to know that."

"I know..." she replied, "But why? Why can't people just leave us alone? Why can't they just let us be happy? Why must everyone be so quick to judge us? It's not fair...I never did anything to hurt them, but they keep wanting to hurt me."

"Because people are arrogant, they think they're better than everyone else, they think they know what's best for you."

"I'm not looking for people to make all these special rules for us..." Ruby sighed, calming herself, "I just...I want people to let us be together. That's all I ask, is that they let us enjoy each other...that they let us love each other."

"That will never happen, Ruby," Alex replied, hugging his mate again, "We can only hope...but it will never be."

"I feel so alone, Alex...so afraid."

"I will always be here for you, Ruby. No physical distance will change that. Even if we can never mate again, I will still love you. I will _always_ love you, my little gemstone."


	20. Chapter XIX: Lockdown

_**Chapter XIX**_ **:**

 **-''Lockdown''-**

 **-New Alexandria, Montana-**

 **- _10 January 2016_ -**

 **- _1645 Hours_ -**

Alex and Terrias stood outside by the pool, both of them leaning against a planter box adjacent to the water, looking out towards the west and watching the sun sink. The temperature was surprisingly moderate, not too cold, and the sun's reflection off the melting snow granted the world a sort of beautiful, angelic glow. Tomorrow was the day that they were going to be taken away from here, the day where they would begin their long prison sentence. "Hard to believe that this is the last time we'll see the sunset," Alex sighed, smirking grimly, "Trying to enjoy it while we still can..."

"We'll see it again someday," the servine replied, placing a comfort arm across his friend's shoulder, "Don't worry."

"I hate leaving Ruby like this..."

"I feel the same about Aria...but at least we will see them again. Besides, I'm sure they'll pay us a visit every once in awhile. May I suggest something, however."

"What is it?" Alex turned to face his friend, crossing his arms.

"Since tonight will be the last night you get to spend with your mates for a long while, make it memorable to them...all of them."

"Already gave Dash some pleasure earlier."

"Than spend the night with Ruby and Cynder...make it special...I have some plans for Aria."

"Wonder how they will react to a threesome," Alex chuckled.

Terrias shrugged, "I'm sure they won't mind, especially given the circumstances. Anyway, we should probably go, while the night is still young."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Terrias."

The servine nodded, "Have fun."

"You, too."

Alex was the first to awaken that morning, plagued with nightmares of his time as Ares and Thanatos. Blinking away the sleep, he sat up in, smiling sadly at the sight of Ruby and Cynder, both still sleeping soundly to either side of him. He climbed out of bed, taking a shower and dressing himself, trying to enjoy the privacy while he still could. Upon exiting his private bathroom, he was greeted by both of his mates, awake and waiting for him just outside.

Ruby looked away unhappily, her expression also containing the slightest hint of guilt...this all happened because of her after all. Cynder, on the other hand, only smiled sadly towards him, leaping into his arms, hugging him tightly, and kissing him on the mouth, "I don't want you to go..." she frowned.

"I don't want to go either..." he replied.

"Alex..." Ruby began, a slight, sad, delphinic whine in her sigh, "I'm sorry..."

"Don't be, Ruby," he replied, managing a smile, "I would do anything for you...you know that."

"I betrayed you. I disappointed you, and I let you down...forgive me."

Alex shushed her, hugging and kissing her, "You could never disappoint me, Ruby."

Alex, flanked by his two mates, stepped out of their house into the beautiful, surprisingly moderately warm day. They strolled across the property, passing through the gate and onto the sidewalk. The city was calm and quiet, still under curfew, but Terrias and Aria were already out here, waiting patiently. Upon spying him, Aria walked up to Alex, embracing him and patting him affectionately on the back. He hugged her back, turning to face Terrias, who only nodded in his direction. Staring towards the street, looking for his and Terrias' transportation, the Commander felt Ruby's fin pry its way into his hand. He hugged her, kissing her softly and squeezing her fin, pulling her close.

One by one, the other members of Alpha Company arrived to see the two friends off, all appearing solemn, sad, but understanding. Soon, everyone save Spyro and Piermont had come, and Alex turned to face them, saying, "Guys...I have one favor to ask of you..."

"What's up, Alex?" Rocket asked.

"Please, take care of Ruby for me...make sure Spyro and Piermont don't hurt her..."

"We will," Dash replied with a solemn nod, and Alex hugged and kissed her, too.

"That's all I ask...protect her for me...and Ruby?"

"Alex...?" Ruby replied in a small voice, she was struggling, but managed to control herself, even if barely. Lucy stood beside her, rocky wing extended over the dolphin, attempting to comfort her.

"Be strong."

She nodded, "I will...I promise."

He kissed her one last time as a police interceptor pulled up alongside the road. Two officers got out of the vehicle and Alex and Terrias approached, both leaning forward against the vehicle and placing their hands behind their backs. They were cuffed and placed into the back of the squad car, and as it pulled out, heading back towards the military district, Alex peered out the window to spy Alpha Company watching them depart. Ruby turned to face Lucy, burying the front of her body into the animated gargoyle's body, and Alex couldn't help but to look away.

After several minutes, the vehicle finally pulled over just inside of the military district. The cops climbed out, opening the back door and escorting Alex and Terrias out from within. Directly ahead of them was a prisoner transport vehicle, idling and awaiting the two criminals. Before they were ushered into the vehicle, they were forced to leaning the side of the van. Two more police officers, heavily armored and even heavier armed, pulled out small syringe containing a green, clear fluid. Alex and Terrias were forced to expose their necks and they were injected with whatever the fluid was. Almost instantly, they became groggy and tired, their muscles stiffened, they felt weak and helpless, and the mutual mind bank dimmed almost to the point of nonexistence...their mutations had been suppressed.

"We left enough mutation in your genes to keep you two alive," one of the officers said, "I know you mutants will die if you're taken completely off of it, but what you have is all you get, so hope you don't use all that remains of your powers in one sitting."

The back of the van was opened and the two were led into the back of it. Already the transport was full of other prisoners, all heading towards the same, unknown destination, and upon spying the new arrivals, Alex could sense the amount of hostility in the group. If these prisoners broke free and managed to avoid observation, it would only take a minute until the two members of the High Command were mauled by the crowd.

"Sit tight," one of the guards chuckled, closing the doors, "We've got a _long_ drive ahead of us."

The Commander didn't know how how long they were in the back of the vehicle. They had lost track of the hours, it was dark with no lighting back there, and they had no way to tell the time. When the vehicle finally stopped and the back door opened, it was late evening. The temperature was very hot, and the ground was muddy beneath their feet. The prison loomed before them, a massive, concrete building, three stories tall, and covering an area of about fifteen acres. "Welcome home," Terrias smirked.

As were escorted through the yard, they were well aware of the awkward and vicious stares of the other inmates, mostly against Terrias. Somewhere in the distance, Red Rider's _Lunatic Fringe_ played, adding to the hostile ambiance that saturated the area. Once inside the lobby and away from the unsettling observation by the other inmates, the two were processed, and following this, Alex and Terrias, no wearing orange jumpsuits, were escorted to the very back of the prison. Passing by several empty cells, Alex asked in a mocking tone, "Too dangerous to keep us near the others?"

The guard smirked, "We're doing you two a favor. Sex offenders are the bottom of the food chain for the other inmates," he paused in front of a cell, opening the door and roughly throwing the two into the room. Alex hit the ground, knocking the wind out of him, Terrias was shoved in, and snarling, he turned to face the guard, just as the door slammed shut behind him. The servine bore his teeth, wrapping his three-fingered paws around the bars.

"Dunno why they let you two share a cell. Most of the time people like you are put in isolation, and even if they didn't, they sure as hell wouldn't put two friends together," with another smirk, he finally walked away.

Terrias swore at the guard beneath his breath, turning around and walking over to where Alex lay. The servine extended a paw, helping the Commander to his feet before saying, "I call top," before climbing over the bunks, laying down on the top one.

"One toilet...no privacy...fuck me."

Terrias chuckled, "C'mon, Alex, it's not like it's anything I haven't seen before."

"That doesn't help...and I wasn't really referring to _you_ as much as I was referring to people outside...not like it's the first time we've seen each other nude."

"Making us sound like a couple?" Terrias grinned, staring towards the ceiling, "Shit...didn't think you'd be ready for love already."

Alex only shook his head.

"So..." the servine leaned back on his shoulders, "You regret trading your freedom for Ruby's now?"

"No," Alex replied, gently clenching the prison bars with his bionic fist, placing his forehead down on the cold steel, "But I fucking miss her already..."

"Don't worry, just 3649 days left."

Alex glared at his friend again before sighing, leaning against the back wall of the tiny, claustrophobic cell and sliding down to a sitting position, arms hanging loosely between his legs, tucked against his chest.

"Think about it this way," Terrias replied, sitting down beside the Commander, "Things could be so much worse..."

"Yeah? This seems pretty shitty to me. We're stuck in this place, Deitus is outside, bringing on the end of the fucking world. I don't even trust my own companions to ensure the safety of my mate, _and_ I also get to carry around the label of 'sexual predator' for the rest of my life. Things seem pretty bad to me."

"Well, at least Ruby is still alive."

Alex said nothing, shrugging, "I suppose you're right."

"Cheer up, man."

Alex shrugged, "I just...I want to get this over with. The sooner we get done with our sentence, the sooner we can go back home...I just hope that Alpha can stop Deitus by themselves."

"Well, they stopped the Reapers _and_ kicked _your_ ass at the same time, so I suppose that's a good indicator that they can handle things on their own. Quite frankly, the only thing I'm worrying about really, and forgive me for bringing this up, but it's how they'll treat Ruby. I feel so bad for the poor girl, all the shit she's forced to put up with."

"Well, she knows I'm not dead this time, so I hope that she doesn't try to run off and kill herself again..."

"Have faith in her."

"I did once...but...and don't you fucking _dare_ tell her I said this...but after seeing what she did last year...I'm not exactly sure if I can trust her not to do something stupid."

"I can assure you that she's changed...she'll be fine, don't worry. Worse comes to worst, she can pay you a visit sometimes. Hell, for all we know, they might allow a conjugal visit between you two."

"A what?"

"Conjugal visit."

"What the fuck is that?"

"Basically, they let you two stay in a room together for a few hours or few days, let you do whatever you want: cuddle, fuck, shit like that."

"Doubt it."

"Why?"

"Because she's still a dolphin and I'm still a human."

"You don't think they'd let you?"

"That's how I ended up here in the first place, isn't it?"

The servine shrugged, "Fair enough, I suppose."

Alex suddenly grinned, "Need to write to my congressman, demand that I get a special license that allows me to be with Ruby. Little card that says I'm exempt from punishment as long as my mate is Ruby and nobody else."

"What about Cyn or Dash?"

Silence from the Commander, "Them, too."

"Well, go for it, you might actually get lucky. Complain to the right people and you'll probably win."

"Define the 'right' people."

"Well, given how the feds _love_ to be, I'd expect that _someone_ will be willing to fight for your right to screw any animal you want."

"I'm not that bad...my heart remains with Ruby, she's an exception."

"And Dash, and Cynder."

"Shut up."

The servine only grinned again, "Oh! Let's not forget Piermont, Spyro, Sapphire..."

Alex glared at him.

"Oh, and me."

"Fuck you."

"Right now? Here? Slow down, buddy, I prefer some foreplay before we jump right into the fun shit..." then, when this didn't seem to cheer up Alex and he only looked sadly back towards the floor, "Listen, man...it'll be fine, don't worry."

"I just...I just want to be with Ruby."

"You'll get your chance. True love lasts forever, it's not like she'll just forget about you. She's waiting for you, and I'm sure she's counting down the days until your freedom as we speak."

"I miss her."

Terrias hugged his friend, "I know. You two really love each other, I've never seen anything quite like it before. Even my Aria needs her space and privacy every once in awhile, Ruby's like a leech."

"It's funny."

"What is?"

"The fact that a cynical asshat like me can become so enamored with someone like Ruby, who's so emotional, vulnerable, and clingy."

"She brings out your humanity, you two compliment each other. You bring out the best in each other, that's true love at its finest. That's also how I know that the attraction between you two is more than sexual, and how you don't just love her because you have a fetish for animals."

"That's the thing, too. I want her, not really sexually but...I just...I want to be with her. I want to hold her, to cuddle with her, to sleep with her...I need to feel her presence."

"And you will, don't worry, Alex. She's smart and she's determined, I'm sure she'll find some way to treat you, despite your incarceration, just you wait."

"I just realized, with all my moping about, I haven't asked how you're taking it."

Terrias shrugged, "I know that this isn't the end, that I _will_ be free again, eventually, and I also know that _nothing_ I can go through here will compare to the shit I put up with when I was still a slave."

Alex chuckled, "Even prison rape?"

Terrias looked away with a frown and a sigh, saying nothing. He seemed like he was hurt, and Alex thought he had offended him.

Instantly, Alex sobered, "Oh, shit...did they really...?"

Terrias shrugged, "Like I said, I was constantly abused, not just by my owner, but by the others in my cell."

"Thought you said that, before you and Aria got together, you were a virgin?"

Terrias smirked, "I never said I was a virgin. Hell, I haven't been a virgin for..." he fell silent for a few moments, lost in thought, "Probably ten, fifteen years."

"They raped you?"

"They raped me, I raped them...when you're stuck in those conditions, more often than not you have to assert your dominance through sex. Did I enjoy the shit I did or was put through? Hell no! Unfortunately, that was part of growing up," he sighed, "I was hurt in many ways...ways that you can't even begin to imagine. Y'know, I've got my own scars that will never heal, things I don't tell anyone. I'm _still_ fighting battles from my childhood, my inner demons, I'm still having nightmares of my captivity. I just don't dwell on the past because it's just that, the past. Not saying I'm innocent either, I'm as guilty as they are. It wasn't just the males that raped me, either, nor did I just rape _them_."

" _Females_ raped you, too?"

"Since I spent the majority of my imprisonment locked away with them, when one of the females went into heat, I was constantly targeted. I was a healthy, fertile male, the only one in the cage, and they gravitated towards me. Not gonna even pretend like it was fun...it wasn't, they were aggressive and violent. Aria was the only one who really showed any semblance of restraint, and I think that's just because she crushed on me. Neither _one_ of us were virgins when we originally consummated our relationship shortly after we joined Alpha Company, but it _was_ the first time we had ever been with each other, so it was still special."

"Even your mother?"

"She was dead _long_ before I ever reached sexual maturity...but if she _was_ still alive, I wouldn't put it above her to have tried it, too."

"That's disgusting."

He shrugged, "We're different than your species is...incest isn't necessarily taboo, nor is it as damaging to my kind as it is to yours. When one of our females goes into heat, she finds a mate: relationships, bloodline, none of that matters."

"That's still disgusting."

"It's not focused upon, but you aren't gonna get bitched at if it happens, either. The _preference_ is that you find a mate that isn't related to you, but sometimes that isn't always the case. In situations where there isn't anything else, you make do with what you have. Similarly, homo and bisexuality isn't taboo or uncommon either. In fact, it's almost as normal to us as heterosexuality is."

"Why?"

Terrias shrugged, "Interpersonal bonding, primarily. Establishing dominance, too."

"You're gonna love it here then," Alex grimaced.

"Hey, just because my species isn't above a little same-sex partnership doesn't mean I'm gonna run around and screw everybody in here. I'm not driven by sex, I don't need it to survive, and even if I did decide to have a little fun, I'm _very_ particular about my choice of mate and who I'd court, I'm not gonna fuck anyone and everyone I see."

"What? Me?" Alex chuckled, managing a grin.

"If I found myself overwhelmed with the urge to mate, you would be my first option, yes."

"Kinky."

Terrias frowned, not amused.

"Sorry, I had to."

"'Course," he grunted, a small hint of hurt in his tone, and he said nothing else, climbing into his bunk and laying down.

 _Hey...wake up!_

Alex's eyes shot open and he sat up in bed, looking around. He blinked against the blinding fluorescent light, searching for the source of the voice.

 _Oh no...we need to get you out of here!_ the boy lamented, and Alex finally identified the source.

He climbed out of bed, walking towards the cell door. Azazel peered out at him from the other side of the bars, frowning, "Azazel?" the Commander asked, "What are you doing here?"

"We need to get you out of here..." he replied, "I just...I don't know, I'm trying to figure out something...you can't stop them if you're trapped in here!"

"Unfortunately, there's no way I _can_ get out of here, at least for another ten years."

" _Ten years!?_ But we don't _have_ ten years!" his timid frown became one of determination, and he replied, "I'll find a way to get you out of here! Don't worry!"

Alex reached out through the bars, extending a hand towards the boy. Azazel winced, slowly backing away, frightened. "I'm not going to hurt you..." Alex replied, "I just...I need to know if you're real. I've been hallucinating a lot and..." he shook his head, "Let me feel you."

Reluctantly, Azazel approached the cell again, timidly extending his own small, furry hand. Alex grasped onto it, and after the initial stiffening of the muscles, the goat boy relaxed. His fur was soft and warm, not coarse like Alex had expected, and he turned to face the small boy, who's face lit up with a peculiar joy. He smiled shyly and Alex began to pet his head, scratching his floppy ears. He giggled, a heartwarming sound, before sobering, face adopting that disheartened look once again, "Why...?" he said in a small voice, "Why couldn't _you_ have been my father...?" he sighed, "I will find a way to get you out of here, you'll see...I promise..." and in the blink of an eye, he had vanished.

"Alex?" Terrias said sleepily, and Alex turned to face where the servine sat up in bed, blinking away the sleep, "Everything okay?"

The Commander turned to where Azazel had stood, feeling an inexplicable sadness at the boy's departure, "Yeah...everything's fine...just thought I heard something..." and he crawled back into bed.

Alex and Terrias were chatting when two prison guards paused in front of their cell, opening the door and escorting them out. They were led across the wing and onto the mezzanine over the central area. Beneath them, enclosed by a large, electrified cage, the prisoners were engaged in rec hour. Tables and chairs dotted the rec room, and at the very heart of it all was a small rock-climbing mound. Sitting in a makeshift throne at the top of the mound was a massive, burly, bald-headed man, flanked to either side in smaller 'thrones' upon lower tiers by two other prisoners. They were led downstairs onto the ground level and towards the entrance to the cage. The guards pulled them close, whispering into their ears in a fierce tone, "Go after the big guy," before opening the cage and throwing them inside. Instantly, all eyes were on them, and both remained close together, exchanging glances with the other prisoners.

Holding themselves tall and proud, they strolled into the heart of the cage, ignoring the glares of the other prisoners, and towards the apparent alpha's post. The big man's lackeys stood up from their posts, preparing to attack, while the alpha himself remained casually sitting in his seat. When Alex and Terrias refused to back away, the two lieutenants climbed down from their posts, charging towards the duo. Like they had done many times before, the two friends worked together in synchronization against their assailants, delivering constant barrages. Terrias was the first to completely neutralize his foe as he grabbed the man by the back of the head, smashing it into the mound and knocking him unconscious. Alex soon defeated his own opponent, turning around as the other prisoners, once spectators to the showdown, now attacked him _en masse_. Meanwhile, Terrias strolled towards the alpha, grinning arrogantly towards him, "So...gonna let all your boyfriends do the fight for you, huh?"

With a grunt, he finally stood up from his seat, dropping down to the floor and storming towards the servine. He evaded the first charge, delivering a string of rapid attacks towards the large man. His blows made contact, not even fazing the alpha. "Oh..." Terrias began, shortly before he was lifted off the ground by the throat and tossed across the room. With a groan, he picked himself up, snarling, "It's gonna take a lot more than that to keep _me_ down!" with a roar, he charged towards his approaching opponent, tackling him and commencing a series of rapid attacks, evading any and all attacks with eerie speed and agility.

Alex held off the group as much as he could, but it didn't take long before he reached the limit of his abilities. There were too many and they were too aggressive, and soon, he began to collapse beneath the exhaustion of the fight, becoming more clumsy in the fight and starting to make damning mistakes. Finally, someone grabbed him by the throat from behind, flipping him onto the floor and slamming onto him like a wrestler, pinning him his place. As he struggled to wriggle free beneath the heavy man, his foe's arm was also pressed hard enough against the Commander's throat that he was struggling to breathe and threatening to black out. "Terrias...!" he tried, his voice but a hoarse whisper, "Help!"

Eventually, the alpha began to learn from the servine's attacks, dodging and countering with blows that mostly connected. This only worked to fuel Terrias' rage, and soon, he lost all control over himself, snarling murderously and setting himself an objective to brutally kill his attacker. Once the big man's stamina began to reach its end and he became more weary from the battle, Terrias stepped up his efforts, delivering violent, bloody blows to the man's head and body. "Get off of him!" a voice roared over an intercom system, but Terrias didn't listen, only shoved the man to the ground, jumped on top of him, and began to beat him within inches of his life.

An alarm sounded and Alex looked up to watch as prison guards rushed in to surround the cage, armed with riot gear. He turned to face Terrias, watching as the servine continued his relentless rampage...the alpha was already near-unconscious but _still_ the furious Pokemon didn't let up from his rage-fueled barrage. When the cage doors were slammed open and the riot-clad police began to flood into the cage, forcefully separating the prisoners from Alex and preparing to intercept Terrias, the servine reached to the waist of the alpha's pants, removing a shiv from within and placing the blade firmly against the bloodied man's throat, slowly backing away. "One step and he dies!" Terrias roared, "I _dare_ you to test me!"

"Drop the weapon!" a voice rang out, "Back away slowly!"

"FUCK YOU!" the servine snarled, "FUCK YOU _ALL!_ " and he tightened the blade against the man's throat, drawing blood.

"TERRIAS!" Alex managed, voice hoarse, "Stop! Calm down!" and the Commander glanced around the room, watching as tranquilizer-equipped guards began to surround the cage upon the mezzanine, searching for a clear shot at the servine, now having backed into a corner.

The riot squad crept closer, and Terrias chuckled darkly in response, "You're _really_ pushing my limits..."

"I've got a clear shot..." a voice said over one of the men's radios, heard by Alex, surrounded but ignored by the riot squad.

"Take it!" the man whispered harshly over the line, and with a dull _thunk_ a red-feathered tranquilizer embedded itself within the back of Terrias' throat. This startled him, collapsing his defenses and his grip on the alpha loosened. The man broke free, stumbling forward until hitting the ground, unconscious. Instantly, all of the tranquilizers surrounding the cage fired upon the servine, and within seconds, dozens of red feathers poked from his body. He stumbled drunkenly forward towards the riot squad, wearing a homicidal snarl.

Another flurry of rounds fired towards him, but still this didn't slow his steady approach. Finally, with one final round of fire, he fell to his knees before collapsing forward to the ground, unconscious.

"TERRIAS!" Alex roared, finding his inner strength. He shot up and tackled the nearest guard, beating him unconscious and tearing free his stun rod. The other guards turned to face the Commander, but not before he had brought down four more with bludgeons from his newly-acquired weapon. The guards moved to approach him, but he leaped over them, dodging their attacks and countering with his own. He moved not unlike he had done as Thanatos, utilizing his eerily graceful agility to evade and counter, his streak unbroken until one guard managed to stand up and tear the Commander off of his foe, throwing him effortlessly to the ground. Alex struggled and fought back, but like with the prisoners, there were too many to fight at once, and within a few minutes he had been dealt a number of blows from stun rods and shot with several feathered darts.

Finally, he went down, screaming maddeningly as he was surrounded and knocked unconscious by the guards. The last thing he heard before slipping away was one of the guards taunting him, "Perhaps you could use a few days in Solitary."

His body burning mercielessly, his muscles throbbing, Alex slowly opened his eyes. He groaned, alarmed when he found that his arms were bound, and upon glancing at himself, he screamed to find that he had been bound in a straitjacket. In his hysterics, he fell onto his back, eyes widening as he stared towards the ceiling, where a fan rotated slowly and steadily, silhouetted by fluorescent lights behind it. He had been thrown into solitary confinement, his arms bound to him through a straitjacket, his legs cuffed to the bed.

Three days later, the door to Alex's isolated cell opened and several guards entered. The Commander only turned to face them before looking away, saying nothing. They stood around him, watching for several minutes, before finally unshackling his legs and forcing him to his feet, shoving him towards the open door. Once more, he was led through the prison in a walk of shame. The observing prisoners around him backed away from him, and although he wanted to be amused by their fear, he found he couldn't.

Finally, he was led into the center of the prison, towards the enclosed recreational area, and once the door opened, his straitjacket was removed and he was shoved onto the floor inside, at the base of the plastic mount upon which the prison's alpha and his lieutenants had perched. With a groan, he picked himself up, turning to face the alpha, ready to request a draw. However, his eyes widened as he saw, not the big man sitting upon his throne, but Terrias, grinning widely towards the Commander. To the servine's left, the dethroned alpha, covered in bruises, bandages, and stitches, sat now as a lieutenant. To the Pokemon's right was another prisoner that the Commander could not recognize. Both of Terrias' lieutenants prepared to attack before Terrias, raising one three-fingered paw, said, "No, that's not necessary. He's my friend."

Reluctantly, the two sat down once again, and the servine beckoned the Commander up to him. Alex climbed up to where Terrias sat, and the Pokemon stood up, throwing an arm around his friend and embracing him.

"So, you're the new alpha, huh?" Alex replied.

"Yep...feels pretty good to be the one in charge for once...no worries thought, I happen to find the concept of a diarchy appropriate. What do you say?"

Alex turned around to watch the other prisoners, once more standing around the mound, looking up to their two leaders. Wearing a grin, the Commander turned to face his friend again, slicing his hand open upon a piece of the cage's barbed wire and extending it towards the servine. Terrias did likewise and the two shook hands.


	21. Chapter XX: Shock and Awe

_**Chapter XX**_ **:**

 **-''Shock and Awe''-**

 **-New Alexandria, Montana-**

 **- _17 January 2016_ -**

 **- _0722 Hours_ -**

Ruby's eyes shot open from another vivid nightmare. Ever since Alex had been taken away, she had been plagued by horrific nightmares on a nightly basis, usually of the Commander's death. This time, however, the terror that had plagued her sleep was one where Alex had betrayed her. He had attacked her and left her for dead. She wiped the tears from her eyes, sitting up in bed and looking around the empty room, frowning. She felt so lonely, her heart ached for the touch of her mate, and she felt a fresh wave of tears coming on. She was touched that Alex would sacrifice his own freedom to save her life, but at the same time, she was being tortured relentlessly by his absence. She debated finding some way to get herself imprisoned, with the hopes of being able to join him, but at the same time she knew that even if she _did_ find herself incarcerated, she would most likely be placed in a completely different prison than him.

Another thing the dolphin feared greatly, but did not dare to admit, was how Alpha Company would treat her in Alex's absence. They had blamed her for his supposed death a year earlier, and she was afraid that now they would blame her for his imprisonment. So far, it seemed that the only two people who despised her were Spyro and Piermont, even though the latter had become increasingly more reclusive. Spyro, however, had stepped up his efforts and was constantly attacking her, belittling her, and informing her of just how stupid the Commander was for choosing her life over his freedom. Cynder had stepped up to defend her, but that only subjected the she-dragon to abuse. It wasn't public, but more than once Cynder had appeared a few hours later with a new bruise or cut on her sleek, black body. The dolphin wondered what was going on, she wondered why Alpha Company was falling apart, and she couldn't help but feel guilty for _all_ of it. None of this had been a problem until Alex had adopted her, and the guilt was overwhelming.

The other members of Alpha Company seemed to notice Spyro's increasing hostility, but they had opted to not get involved, likely due to fear of becoming the next person to earn the dragon's ire. Despite the encompassing hostility, there were still a few souls that worked to comfort her and reassure her of her value to the team, even if in private. Jazz, Rapid, Dash, Lucy, Cynder, Rocket, Aria, and Sapphire all made sure that she knew they were there for her, even if it didn't seem like it. Lately, she had discovered another peculiarity...in Alex's absence, Sapphire had been trying to fill the void left by the Commander...but Ruby found that, although she enjoyed the bull's attention, there was no pleasure in their relationship. Even when he had gone to great lengths to ensure she received pleasure first during their mating sessions, she was still left unsatisfied, and in some cases, not even aroused. Then she realized that, upon Alex's return following the end of his sentence, the odds of them becoming romantically involved again were very slim, out of fear of another term of imprisonment.

The members of Alpha Company that _did_ support her had informed her that they were desperately trying to find a way to grant her and Alex an exclusion to the laws separating them. There was even talk of a small political group in the area striving to win a case that would allow her and Alex to be together. Dominating the news, aside from the recent trial and Alex's sentencing, was a new law being penned, something called the 'Ruby Clause', that seemed to be making surprising progress in its mission to reach the Supreme Court. She had heard briefly about this: something about granting official rights to a human and an animal within an intimate relationship if there was incontrovertible evidence that the animal in question was consenting. If it passed, this could mean that Alex could actually obtain a license granting him permission to be with the dolphin. As an added bonus, and something that raised her spirits, the license could also enable him to legally marry her, something she longed for deeply.

"Alex..." she said in a small voice, "Are you okay? Is everything all right?" she sighed, "I will find a way to visit you...I promise. You and Terrias won't be alone in there, I won't let you suffer through this alone. Like you were always there for me...I will always be there for you...I promise."

The dolphin was roused from her thoughts by a tumult outside. Puzzled, she rushed out of the master bedroom and downstairs, rapidly crossing the foyer at the foot of the stairs and stepping outside onto the wraparound porch. Alpha Company, oblivious to her, had gathered around, looking towards the south, and upon finding a spot to look, her heart sank at what she saw: a beam of white light rose into the sky from somewhere in the city, and dark gray, storm-like clouds circled around it. There was hushed whispers circulating around the crowd, and Ruby asked, "What is that?"

Suddenly, Dash lowered from the skies, out of breath, "Shit! Guys we need to get over there quick!"

"Hell is going on?" Spyro asked.

" _Filios Diaboli_ are crawling all over the place! That vortex is coming from a great big swirling hole in the ground and there's _tons_ of those creatures crawling out of it!"

Instantly, Alpha Company was on alert, scattering to prepare themselves for a fight. Ruby stood awkwardly in place, unsure of what to do or say. "Damn it, Ruby! Are you stupid!?" Spyro scowled, "Get your fat ass in gear!" and the dragon hurried off.

As soon as the unit set off towards the glowing beam, there was a brilliant flash, accompanied by a loud noise, and a _second_ beam shot forth into the sky to the east. Almost immediately, the clouds above began to circle around the point of penetration. "What the hell is all of this!?" Rocket asked.

"Better question, what the hell is _Filios Diaboli_ doing!?" Dash countered.

"Does it matter?" Spyro snarled, "We need to get them out of here!"

They arrived at the first of the beams, finding dozens upon dozens of shadow-demons around it, crawling out of the dark red portal around its base. Terminator soldiers surrounded the site, attempting to hold off the invading demons, but their weapons were completely ineffective against the shadowy creatures. Spyro circled around the arena, opening his maw and spewing bright fire down upon the demons. They screeched and disintegrated into ash soon after, and the purple dragon grinned, "Get some fire on them!"

While the _Commander's Wing_ took down the forces of _Filios Diaboli_ , Ruby, who was standing further back, ignored by both sides of the fight, found herself attracted to the beam of light. Something about it captivate her, called her, and before she even realized what was going on, she was walking towards it, entranced. As she approached, _Filios Diaboli_ surrounded her, attempting to keep her away, but friendly forces kept them away from her, chiding her carelessness in the process. She didn't hear them, however, she was being called by the beam, light a moth to a flame, she was drawn to it, compelled to touch it.

" _RUBY!_ " Spyro roared, spitting a warning tongue of flame inches in front of the dolphin, startling her from her trance, "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing!? Get back you idiot!" but he was silenced as one of the shadow-demons leaped into the air, tackling him to the ground. Ruby stood in place, wearing a dumb, dazed look and staring towards the dragon. She didn't move, she merely stood there, watching with a peculiar, intrigued expression, even though her eyes were distant. Finally, Spyro managed to drive back his assailant, engulfing it—and the entire area—in flames. As the demons backed away from his defensive ring of fire, the dragon, snarling furiously, glared towards the dolphin. "Thanks for nothing. Next time you're in trouble? Don't bother asking, you can help your own fucking self," and he stormed away, snorting.

Never before had she seen such malice, such hatred, in someone's expression did she right there. Strangely enough, she wasn't even that adversely affected by his bitter disgust, she merely stared towards him as he walked away, still wearing that peculiar expression. Once the dragon had moved on to take on another group of the shadow-demons, Ruby turned her attention back to the beam, and once more began to walk towards it, unable to control herself. Her mind and body felt numb, as if being in proximity to the beam had completely nullified all feeling or emotion. She finally reached the vortexes circling the base of the beam, noticing a hot wind and a nearly subconscious drone seeping from the anomaly. As she prepared to walk into the vortex, to touch the beam, she heard Cynder's voice cry out from somewhere behind her, "Ruby! Stop! Don't touch that thing!"

"Ruby! Wait!" Dash exclaimed, but just as the pegasus rocketed towards the dolphin, the cow stepped into the vortex and the pegasus herself was blown to the ground by a powerful force. The dolphin cried out as a heat and unsettling, and electric-like feeling shot through her body. The vortex flared up around her, the beam seemed to pulsate, and like a vacuum, the light pulled her into it.

"Help me!" the dolphin exclaimed, trying to break free, but the pull of the beam was too strong.

"Ruby! _NO!_ " Dash exclaimed, once more trying to reach the dolphin. Once again, she seemed to impact with an invisible barrier that painfully threw her to the ground.

 _Ruby opens her eyes, finding herself in a dark room. As her eyes adjust to the darkness, she begins to make out textures...an old stone wall, a tiled floor, and dim light seeping through narrow slits in the walls around her._

" _Where am I?" she asks herself, and surprise giving way to panic, she hurried towards a large, wooden, arched door. She shoves the heavy door open, passing through the entrance and finding herself in a decrepit arcade. To her left, she is amazed to see a massive, glowing white light, rotating light a tornado and emitting a loud roar, like that of a train. At first the light pillar blinds her, but as her eyes adjust to the brightness, she begins to see beyond it. In the distance, she can see hundreds upon hundreds of the light pillars, all extending from the floor of the chamber, obscured from view by a thick, cloud-like mist, glowing a brilliant, bright, cyan blue, to the ceiling, also obscured by a thick, bright mist, this one glowing white. The room beyond seems to continue on infinitely, dotted with countless of the pillars of light. The skies are painted a solid black, so dark that they seem to dampen the blinding light emitting from the pillars. She turns to face the arcade extending before her, noticing that the tile floors are made of ornate marble, polished to the point that it reflects like mirrors. She walks down this arch-ridden hall, reaching the end to find a staircase curving upwards to the floor above. She takes this, finding herself on yet another arcade. After what seems like hours, with her never tiring in this realm, she finally reaches the top of the tower, stunned to see that another of those pillars of light, this one as red as fire, jutting from the center of the tower, as if the tower itself was built around the light._

Where am I? _she thinks, awestruck by the dimension around her,_ This place is _beautiful_!

 _A loud roar startles her from her astonishment, sounding neither human, animal, nor mechanical. She anxiously looks around her, trying to find the source of the sound, but ultimately sees nothing but the endless room of pillars encircling her._

" _What are you doing here!?" a soft, child's voice speaks from behind her, and the dolphin rotates to spy the little goat boy, Azazel, standing there, nervously looking around, "This isn't a place for mortals to be!"_

" _What is this place...?" the dolphin asks him._

 _Azazel frowns, "This is the Inner Dimension, the realm that lies between the Base World and the Omniverse..."_

" _What are these pillars of light?"_

" _Pillars of light?" he begins, confused, before saying, "I must not be seeing what you are...can't say I'm surprised. This realm isn't meant to be seen by mortal eyes, let alone comprehended."_

" _I just see this endless, black-skied room, the ceiling and floor are hidden by glowing clouds and there's these weird pillars of light...hundreds, no,_ thousands _of them...well..._ everywhere _."_

" _You must be seeing the Beams," Azazel replies._

" _Beams? What are the Beams?"_

" _They are the supernatural supports that keep the two capstone universes separate."_

" _Why do they have to be separate?"_

" _Because if they ever come into contact with one another, the Base World and the Omniverse, as highly absorbent as they are, will try to absorb each other...bringing about and abrupt and horrific apocalypse."_

" _The Base World and the Omniverse?"_

" _You said you're seeing clouds?"_

" _Well, more like this misty stuff, it's covering the sky and floor."_

" _The mist you see down below is the Base World, the mist above is the Omniverse..." then, "How did you get here?"_

 _The dolphin shakes her head frantically, "I-I don't know. One second I was in New Alexandria and the next I was here!"_

" _Do you remember anything? Was anything different?"_

 _She nods, "Actually...yeah...there were these two pillars of light shooting from the sky down onto the ground. Those shadowy demons were crawling out of the portals they created in the grou-" she is suddenly interrupted by another one of those inexplicable roars, and Azazel starts, orange eyes growing wide._

" _Oh no! It's the Alpha Breaker! Hurry! Follow me! We need to hide!" he ran off, the dolphin right on his heels. They quickly went back into the tower upon which Ruby had just ascended, hiding in the arcade two floors down, with Azazel shoving open one of the arched doors leading into the towers interior and slipping inside. "Stay low!" the goat boy whispers harshly, sounding terrified, "Or it'll see you!"_

 _They suddenly hear a sound like the flapping of massive wings, and a dark shadow falls upon the world around them. From their hiding spot, they can just make out an immense, dark red, serpentine silhouette slithering above, its segmented body arching like a worm's. The wyvern circles a nearby beam before passing through it and the world quakes and rumbles, the beam turning a dark, bloody red before abruptly shrinking into oblivion, as if a portal emitting it had suddenly snapped close. There is another rumble, an almost metallic sound that the dolphin cannot describe, and she watches as millions of tiny white orbs fall from the mist where the Beam had been to the floor below._

" _What is_ that _!?" the dolphin exclaims, horrified._

" _I-I don't know..." Azazel replies, also sounding terrified, "All I know is that Uncle Vergil called them Alpha Breakers...what is it doing!? Why is it destroying the Beams!?"_

" _What's going on here!?" the dolphin exclaims, unable to control herself any longer. Her entire body trembles with fear and her bright, innocent blue eyes are wide._

" _Oh no..." Azazel begins, shaking his head violently, "No, no, no, no!"  
_

" _What's wrong!?"_

" _That Alpha Breaker must be destroying the Beams for whatever reason. You said these white pillars suddenly appeared in your world?"_

 _The dolphin nods vigorously, "Yeah. One of them kinda...called me to it. Before I knew it I had walked into the vortex...and here I am."_

 _Azazel frowns, his expression taking on a dark tone, "If the Beams are collapsing and the Omniverse is starting to connect with the Base World...it must be putting up the Minor Beams."_

" _The what?"_

" _Okay...you said you're seeing these giant pillars out there right?"_

" _Yeah."_

" _The Beams you see_ here _, in the Inner Dimension are the Greater Beams. If something happens, they begin to fail or are destroyed, and the Omniverse begins to collapse to the Base World, the Base World erects these_ 'Minor Beams' _as a last line of defense to keep the two capstones apart. If the Minor Beams are broken,_ then _pieces of the Omniverse actually start to physically touch the Base World._ Filios Diaboli _must be trying to destroy them...that's why they're swarming around the pillars...you need to go back to your home world and tell your friends to protect them! I wouldn't doubt that Uncle Vergil is gonna try to release Breakers to help destroy the Beams...you need to destroy them whenver you see them!"_

" _What?_ THOSE _things!?" Ruby points towards the world beyond the hall._

" _No! The Alpha Breaker_ cannot _enter the Base World or_ _the Omniverse, it's bound to the Inner Dimension. There are_ Lesser Breakers _however, very powerful demons, that_ can _. If Uncle Vergil is trying to merge the Omniverse and the Base World, it's only a matter of time before Breakers start invading, you need to destroy them!"_

" _How!?"_

" _I...I'm not sure...and I don't have time to figure it out, you'll just have to find out yourself. Listen, Ruby, you_ need _to go back to your home world, you need to get out of here!"_

" _I don't even know how I_ got _here!"_

 _Azazel nods towards the nearest Beam, the massive one that Ruby had first taken notice of the moment she first beheld the Inner Dimension, "I know this is gonna sound crazy, but you need to trust me, okay?"_

 _Ruby nods._

" _Jump off this tower and into that light. It_ should _take you back to your home world."_

" _WHAT!?"_

" _Trust me! Please?" Azazel frowns, "If the Omniverse and Base World are beginning to merge, we are right at the beginning of the apocalypse. You need to get out of here and you need to stop the Minor Beams from breaking. Meanwhile, I'll remain up here and try to figure out how to banish that Alpha Breaker."_

" _I thought you couldn't kill people?"_

" _It's not that I can't kill anyone..." Azazel replies in a disgusted tone, "I don't like to hurt anyone...I'm more powerful than my father even...but unlike him I'm trying to_ save _the world, not destroy it!"_

" _What do I do?"_

" _Go back to your world, talk to your friends, and_ tell _them what I just told you. You do what you can and I'll do what I can."_

 _Reluctantly, Ruby approaches the balcony, preparing to mantle over it and jump into the endless abyss below._

" _One final thing..." the dolphin turns to face the goat boy, "Alex and Terrias...they need to get out of that prison. The world needs as many of the_ Old Regime _as it can get right now...we can't risk them staying locked up."_

 _Ruby shakes her head, "There's nothing I can do...it's out of my hands."_

" _You need to figure out something. We're passing through the gates of Armageddon, if Messorremel can't stop the Ascension, there will be nothing left!"_

" _How long? How long do we have to stop this?"_

 _Azazel shrugs, "I don't know...not long at this rate..." he sighs, looking out towards the Greater Beams, "I know of only one way to kill the Alpha Breaker...but it's impossible now."_

" _What?"_

 _The goat boy turns to face her, "Soulreaper and Bloodreaver, Messoremel's twin swords. Soulreaper is needed to banish the Alpha Breaker from the Inner Dimension, where it can then be killed by Bloodreaver."_

" _Where are the swords now?"_

" _Messoremel gifted Soulreaper to a demonic creation he had befriended as a token of alliance. Said demonic creation was designed by the Archangel Lucifer to kill the angelic hierarchy...a plan that ultimately failed. As for Bloodreaver...I'm not sure where it is. The legends say that it was granted to an ancient order of demigods, set to birth the reincarnations of Ophelia. Over time, the blade would eventually lose its power, after which the only way to restore it is to reforge it in the blood of its original smith. Nobody knows what happened to the sword, and the order seems to have simply vanished into thin air."_

" _Ophelia...that name sounds familiar..."_

" _Aye, I'd imagine it would. Ophelia was a Nephil, a crossbreed born from an angelic father and a human mother, from the time before the Great Flood. She served as Messoremel's keeper and helped Vitamel to raise her child while the Archreaper Himself fought in his wars. When Lucifer betrayed the angelic hierarchy, Soulreaper—a weapon capable of slaying demons and absorbing their power to strengthen itself—wasn't enough to slay the rogue Archangel's forces, as he had both angels and humans in his army. Ophelia was injured when the Holy City was attacked, and knowing she wouldn't survive, she offered herself as a sacrifice to create a weapon capable of destroying a soul. From her blood and blessed with her last breath, Bloodreaver was forged, the only weapon capable of breaking the cycle of Life and Death to permanently and completely destroy a soul. You may also know of her as it was Ophelia who crafted the_ Libro Morturom _and the_ Chains of Eternity _, both of which were eventually used to banish and imprison the Lifehunter._ _Now, I've already spoken too long, you need to get back home, free Messorremel and Raziel, and stop the destruction of the Beams...I need to get back home before I'm missed."_

 _Ruby turns to face the abyss again, terrified, "There has to be another way."_

" _Trust me," and Azazel places was furry arm around her, hugging her tightly, "Jump!"_

 _With a reluctant nod, Ruby squeezes her eyes shut as she let goes of the banister. Instantly she's aware that she's falling, even though she can feel no air against her body. She tries to scream, but finds that no sound emerges, and her eyes snap open as she watches the luminescent cloud grow closer and closer before..._

...She passed into the glowing cloud, watching in shock as New Alexandria draws closer and closer. She squeezed her eyes shut again as powerful, hot wind blew past her, expecting to die upon her landing. Instead, she's startled to find that her descent became slower and slower the nearer she came to the ground before she landed softly on her tail flukes, just outside of the vortex. "Ruby! Get back!" Dash exclaimed, and before the dolphin even knew what happened, the pegasus slammed into the dolphin's side, throwing her back across the asphalt street. Both landed painfully, rolling to a stop, the wind knocked out of them, and the pegasus, standing over the dolphin exclaimed in a panicked tone, "Are you crazy!? What the _hell_ were you thinking!?"

"I...I..." but the dolphin didn't know how to respond. The memories of what she had seen on the other side of that pillar were blurry and almost entirely forgotten, even though Azazel's cryptic message remained clear as crystal, "Dash, listen to me!" the dolphin began frantically, and she briefly summarized all that Azazel had told her.

"Shit..." the pegasus swore, once Ruby had finished her story, and she turned to face the pillar, "We can't sit here and guard this thing 24/7...there must be some way we can close it...but how?"

Ruby shook her head, "I-I don't know, I told you everything that Azazel told me..."

"Damn it...and as for jailbreaking Alex and Terrias...unfortunately, at least for now, we're S.O.L there. None of us have any idea where they're being kept, we weren't informed, only Heinrich was and you know as well as I do that he won't tell us jack."

"We need to find out where and we need to break them out...we're staring at the end of the world!"

"Yeah, I know...that was kinda clear the moment we watched Deitus live out his hentai fantasies on the citizens of Rome."

"What do we do!?"

Dash sighed, "I don't know! I'm not a strategist! Alex was the plan guy!"

"And Alpha Company won't believe me either..."

"Well, _I_ believe you, so I'll vouch for you."

"Just tell them what I told you and claim the experience as your own...they'll believe you. It doesn't matter _who_ vouches for me...they won't trust _or_ believe me..." Ruby frowned, "Why am I hated so much?"

"Nobody _hates_ you, Ruby."

"Well, Spyro and Piermont do at least."

"Pierre hates everybody."

"What about Spyro?"

"He's just a dick, don't let him get to you. Despite what it seems, Rubes, you have more friends here than you have enemies. They just don't get involved because there's no point, let Spyro throw his little hissy fit, it's a waste of time and energy to argue with him 'cause he won't listen anyway. Eventually he'll get bored and move on...same way we deal with Pierre when he's having one of his days."

"He's been abusing Cynder."

Dash fell silent, nodding solemnly, "Yeah...and I feel bad for her, too. She lost Alex and now she's getting mistreated by her remaining mate...Spyro didn't always used to be this way, wonder what happened."

"He's been this way ever since I joined..."

"No, he's been this way ever since Alex fell to the Reapers...I guess that fucked him up somewhere and he just hasn't recovered yet."

"You think he ever will?"

"Maybe someday."

Eventually, the high concentration of invading shadow-demons began to thin out, dwindling away until only a few were emerging at a time. Before too long, the last of the creatures had fallen and a relieving stillness fell over the world, even though the portals and the Beams still remained. Dash took this opportunity to share the information that Ruby had told her, claiming that _she_ had been visited by Azazel instead. Spyro didn't seem to fully believe what she said, but begrudgingly accepted anyway, saying, "I'm willing to believe anything that happens at _this_ point."

"So..." Cynder asked, "What the hell is a Breaker?"

"I'm not sure," the pegasus replied, "All I know is we gotta watch out for them."

"How do we close this Beam..." Aria began with a sigh, nodding towards the pillar of light.

"Also not sure," Dash responded, "But we have to find _some_ way."

"Do you know _anything_ useful?" Spyro scowled.

"Fuck you," the pegaus replied bitterly, "At least I'm _trying_ to save the fucking world. You're just sitting there bitching and moaning about Ruby and every other little thing you can complain about. So about how you actually _grow_ a pair and decide to take us to victory."

"In case you've forgotten, Corporal, I'm your superior officer and I will not tolerate this blatant disrespect."

"Oh don't give me that crap, man. Ranks are meaningless in Alpha Company, you know that."

"That was Alex's philosophy...I'm not Alex. Unless you've forgotten, Alex is currently serving prison time thanks to that stupid fucking dolphin of his."

"Why are you such an asshole?"

"Fuck off," Spyro hissed, storming away.

Dash and Ruby exchanged glances, the dolphin appearing unhappy and depressed. The pegasus approached her friend, gently nuzzling her affectionately, "It's okay, Ruby," Dash began, "Don't listen to him."

"I don't understand...what did I do wrong?"

"Nothing, you didn't do anything wrong."

"Then why does everyone hate me?"

Across the world, in the wild tundra of Skyrim, located in Tamriel, a mini continent located in the heart of the medieval Gothic cluster, a bipedal dragon, her scales an astonishing blue, looks up towards the skies, dotted with pillars of light. She is overcome with a strange sensation, an inexplicable compulsion: _Find the child and kill him_.

She doesn't know where this comes from, or why this thought is pressed so heavily upon her, but she feels the need to do so, even though he has no idea who or what she's compelled to kill. Thunder bellows and rain begins to fall from the overcast skies, slow and steady at first, before quickly escalating into a shower. Her icy blue eyes glare towards the skies, her face is expressionless, and she unintentionally reaches for and grasps the green-bladed _flamberge_ at her side.

 _Something isn't right_ , she thinks to herself, _The world is ending_.

The suddenness and randomness of this thought surprises her, but yet, somehow, she can sense that it's a correct assumption. Lately she has been having a lot of strange sensations and compulsions, and although she can't explain it, she knows that whatever it is she's experiencing is defined, its commanded by Fate. Without another word, she sits up against a tree, relieving herself, before looking back to the surrounding plain and continuing her hunt.


	22. Chapter XXI: Prison Blues

_**Chapter XXI**_ **:**

 **-''Prison Blues''-**

 **-Terminus Penitentiary: Blackgorge, New Mexico-**

 **- _25 January 2016_ -**

 **- _1515 Hours_ -**

The sweat-soaked inmates fought bitterly against each other, struggling to beat the other into unconsciousness. Over the radio, beaming into the hundred-plus degree cage, Pink Floyd's _Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. II_ played, providing background music to the vicious, bloody fighting occurring on the floor. At the top of the mound, Terrias relaxed in his throne, watching the show. On the tier lower than him, Alex crouched low, his heavily scarred, muscular chest shined in the dim light. His shirt was bunched and tied around his head like a bandanna, and the Commander caught his breath, waiting for the next battle, where he would be fighting the winner of this one. Terrias had organized the inmates to form his own police-like force, with those swearing loyalty to him wearing a rag stained with the servine's blood around their right shoulders. The loyalists surrounded their leader, ready to protect him if anyone should challenge his rule.

As the fight intensified and one of the prisoners, a big, barrel-chested black man, slowly began to succumb to exhaustion to his Mexican opponent, Terrias elbowed his friend, asking, "You ready?"

Alex smirked, "More than ready."

"Give 'em hell, Alex."

"Yes, sir."

When the black man finally surrendered, he was pulled aside and allowed to rest while Alex leaped down to the ground of the floor, popping his neck muscles and approaching his opponent. The man nodded towards the young man and the Commander said, "God speed," before getting into an offensive position. Within seconds, his opponent charged towards him, howling. Alex ducked to the left, out of the way of the attack before spinning around to face the man again. As the Mexican charged towards him again, delivering several blows, Alex evaded these attacks, waiting for the opportunity to get a counter hit in. When he finally saw the opportunity, he attacked, nailing the man square in the jaw. "Good hit! Good hit," the man replied in a thick accent, popping his own neck muscles and dancing in place, "But it won't happen again."

The attack continued for several minutes, with Alex rationing his strength, hoping to exhaust his opponent and force the man's defenses to lower. Eventually, his strategy worked, and Alex became increasingly aggressive.

"What kind of animal are you!?" the man exclaimed

"I'm a soldier," Alex replied, "You learn how to fight."

After several more minutes of their aggressive combat, the Commander finally managed to down his opponent, who soon raised his hands in surrender. As Alex readied himself for the next round, Terrias called for a break, and the Commander climbed up to his post, reclaiming his seat beside his friend's side.

"You did pretty fucking good, Alex," Terrias chuckled.

"Gotta stay in shape," Alex replied, "Christ knows if and when I'll need to be fit."

Silence fell between them for a few moments before the servine asked his friend, "So...you got pretty vocal last night."

Alex frowned, "What do you mean?"

"You were mumbling in your sleep, couldn't really understand what you were saying, but it was kinda loud."

"Sorry," the Commander responded.

"What were you dreaming about?"

Alex fell silent for a few moments before replying, "Ruby...what I have been almost every night now."

"You really miss her, huh?"

The Commander nodded, "More than I can ever describe...this really sucks."

"You'll see her again, don't worry."

"Yeah...I just hope I see her soon. I can't stand her not being here...it's driving me insane. I would do anything to be with her again...it's not even that I want to mate with her either, I just...I want to _be_ with her."

"Don't worry," Terrias replied, "I have no doubt that she'll remain faithful to you. She loves you deeply, and she'll wait for you. All you need to worry about," he chuckled, grinning slyly, "Is keeping your libido under wraps. I mean, I can help you...to some degree...but you'll still need quite a lot of self-restraint, so good luck."

Alex sighed, "I just want my Ruby..."

Terrias clapped him heartily on the back, "She isn't going anywhere, don't worry. Now c'mon, toughen up. Don't want these guys to think you are weak, do you?"

"Fuck you," but Alex was grinning.

"So...was listening to some of the guards earlier today...did you hear what's in the news?"

"What?" the Commander replied, relaxing on his perch.

"Apparently you've got a group of advocates for you and Ruby...there's something going on about the 'Ruby Clause', basically saying that if you or the animal can provide proof that your relationship is legit and consensual, you two can legally be together."

"Ruby Clause..." Alex frowned.

"Yeah, looks like your dolphin will forever be immortalized if this goes through the Court, which is being kinda shoved through. Look on the bright side though, if it passes, you just gotta register with this license thing and you can live out the rest of your days happily and freely mated to Ruby, and probably Cynder and Dash as well if you wanted."

"Maybe it'll be my get out of jail free card, too, huh?" Alex chuckled.

Terrias shrugged, "Possibly...but I wouldn't hold my breath. After all, the main reason you're here is because of what we did as Ares and Thanatos...we just went with your bestiality to go for a shorter sentence and lesser punishment."

"Not true, after all, you were free to go. You're only here because you insisted."

The servine shrugged, "Valid point I suppose."

Alex and Terrias sat upon their perches, watching as the fights continued, when they noticed the guards' activity increasing around the entrance to the cage. The servine elbowed his friend, pointing towards the door, and Alex snarled at what he saw. Two characters, new prisoners judging by their outfits, were being escorted by the guards towards the cage, and one of the guards, the same one that had instructed Alex and Terrias to fight the prison group's alpha, whispered something in the larger of the two's ear, likely the same advice that the two mutants had been given. The larger of the two new arrivals was a tall, morbidly obese man of mid-to-late twenties with long, greasy, dirty blonde hair, with harsh, accusing blue eyes peering out through horn-rimmed glasses sitting upon his acne-spotted face. He pouted like a child, and even from this distance Alex could make out his incessant whining through a harsh, nasally, softly southern-accented voice. "This isn't fair!" the man exclaimed, loud enough to arouse the attention of everyone in the room, "I didn't do anything wrong!"

The man's companion was a short, thin, bipedal, anthropomorphic hedgehog, his spiky hair colored a bright, brilliant gold, with red spots upon his cheeks and white gloves upon his humanoid hands. Unlike the obese man, this one seemed to be accepting of his fate, knowing very well of the crime that placed them into the prison. The creature remained silent, merely frowning in annoyance at his companion's bemoaning. As the door was opened, the duo were shoved through, and they slowly crawled to where Alex and Terrias sat in the heart of the cage, ignoring the threatening, violent glares of the other prisoners. "Hey dickbag!" the young man scowled, using a tone as if taunting a child on a school playground, "These guys said that you are bunch of wimps that should get beat up, and _we're_ gonna do the beating!"

The former alpha before his usurpation by Terrias stood, readying himself to attack. Terrias only called the man down, and as the mute man took his seat once more, the servine stood, beckoning Alex to stand beside him. "We'll see about that," Terrias taunted, grinning widely, "Whaddya say, Alex? Two-on-two?"

"Sounds good to me," Alex chuckled.

The man laughed obnoxiously, "Oh look! I'm so scared of a stupid little Pokemon and his human boyfriend! You peter puffers won't stand a chance against the almighty Chris-Chan and Sonichu!"

Amused, Alex and Terrias exchanged glances, struggling to maintain their sobriety.

When the fat man, who they assumed to be 'Chris-Chan', noticed these, he nearly exploded into another tantrum, exclaiming, "It's not funny! I will destroy you!"

With a sigh, Alex and Terrias leaped down from their posts, taking up fighting stances reminiscent of when they were still Ares and Thanatos. The manchild's companion, who could only be considered Sonichu, sighed, saying, "Chris...I don't think it's a good idea to taunt..."

"It's _CHRIS-CHAN_!" the fat man howled, "Remember!?"

"Chris-Chan..." but it was obviously that Sonichu was forcing himself to say this, "We should probably be care..."

"Nonsense!" the man interrupted again, "A scrawny kid and his pet Pokemon should be a pushover! Let's go!"

Sonichu only sighed, but readied himself to fight nevertheless. Instantly, Chris-Chan, with a deranged howl he had obviously stolen from a stereotyped Native American war film, charged forward towards the duo, baring his stained teeth in disgust, screaming shrilly. Alex and Terrias, once more exchanging amused glances, nearly sidestepped out of the way of the charge and Chris-Chan rammed into the side of the wall, falling flat onto his rear on the floor, dazed. "This is ridiculous..." Sonichu sighed but, his golden eyes adopting a determined shrine of suppressed hatred, he charged towards them at incredible, astonishing speed, a golden blur zipping idly around the two residing alphas and landing a few blows to them. Recovering from the surprising attack and on full alert, Alex and Terrias finally leaped into action, fighting in eerie synchronization against the two challengers. Neither Chris-Chan nor Sonichu stood a chance against them, with the hedgehog lasting several minutes longer than his companion who was almost instantly knocked out of the fight. When at last they had been bested, Alex and Terrias exchanged malicious grins, and turning to face their gathered followers, the Commander said, "Anyone feeling a little lustful?" he waved towards the new arrivals, "It's open season."

Following their invitation, there was several moments of awkward nothingness before first one then another prisoner stepped forward. Soon, several more joined in, and within a few minutes, the entire crowd was piling around the defeated duo, obscuring all view of the two unfortunate inmates from the pack's two alphas. Chris-Chan screamed in agony, crying for mercy and to be spared from his twisted, sordid fate while simultaneously cursing Alex and Terrias. The two friends only exchanged amused and even sadistic smiles before returning to their post, overlooking the gruesome scene before them.

"Not going to join them?" Alex chuckled, retaking his seat.

"Nah," the servine replied, "Saving myself for you."

"Aww...how sweet."

It didn't take long before the guards arrived to pull the prisoners off of the two new inmates, and Alex and Terrias were treated to the grisly sight of Chris-Chan in his nudity, curled into a ball on the ground and sobbing hysterically. Sonichu, seemed to have either suffered less or otherwise being strong enough to hold his own against the attack, merely turned a murderous glared towards the two alphas, smiling maliciously down upon the sight.

"We won't forget this," the hedgehog snarled coldly, "You will pay!"

"Fuck you, man," Alex chuckled, "Ain't scared of some pissy. fatass manchild and his little friend. This here is _our_ turf, we're in control, and we ain't gonna take challengers to our rule lightly. If you're gonna threaten us, you better be ready to face the consequences of your choice."

"You're disgusting, perverted."

"No shit, Sherlock..." Alex chuckled, "You're telling that to a zoophilic warmonger. I ain't scared of you or your buddy, I've fought much worse than you. Hell, you didn't even last five minutes against us, do you _really_ think you can beat us? Good fuckin' luck, mate."

"Alex speaks the truth," Terrias replied, "This is our territory, _our_ gang, if you expect to challenge our rule, you better be ready to accept whatever we decided to put you through if we win."

"You better watch your backs!" Chris-Chan howled, "Cause when you're not looking, I'm gonna stick a knife in them!"

"Can't even stand off against us face-to-face, hmm?" Terris chuckled, "Pathetic. Regardless, you go ahead and do just that, we're not nearly as easy to kill as you'd think."

"If it bleeds, it can be killed," Sonichu hissed.

"Hey, Alex..." Terrias began, loud enough for everyone to hear him.

"What's up, Terrias?"

"You looking to add another concubine to your harem? The little hedgehog looks like his cherry is ripe for the taking."

The two lords' followers erupted into wild laughter, with Alex, grinning, responding, "I may consider it...been awhile since I've relieved the old loins..."

"You faggot!" Chris-Chan howled.

"Want the fatass, too?"

"Nah," Alex replied, "He's one ugly motherfucker, not my type."

"Shit, a whore is a whore, but I'll give him a nice taste of my double dicks...I'm sure he'd _love_ that."

"Really wanna go mudding?"

Terrias grinned widely, "Nah, I'll make sure he cleans up after himself."

"Better yet, how many licks does it take to get the snake to cum?"

The entire cage erupted into wild laughter at this remark, and Terrias shrugged, "Let's find out, shall we."

"No!" Chris-Chan howled as Terrias hopped down from his post, menacingly approaching the human who rapidly backpedaled away until he was pressed against the cage, "Please! Please, no! I'll be good! I-I swear!"

"I'll make you squeal like a fucking pig!" the servine growled.

"NO! No! No! No! I surrender! I _SURRENDER_! Just don't! Please!"

"Alex, hold onto him for me, looks like he's gonna be a squirmer."

" _NO!_ Mercy! Mercy!"

Alex hopped off his post, joining his friend's side. Sonichu leaped to his feet, charging towards the duo, but once swift punch from the Commander sent the hedgehog flying, dazed, across the cage. Terrias grabbed the human, clinging onto the cage for dear life, throwing him to the ground. The nude man crawled away, sobbing hysterically. "It's payday!" Terrias grinned, unzipping his pants, exposing two smooth, tapered, blood-red shafts poking from his swollen cloaca.

"NO!" Chris-Chan howled, but he couldn't resist against them, and upon the servine's violent penetration, he screamed in agony, once more reduced to a mess of tears. The other prisoners looked upon the scene, faces expressionless. The event itself couldn't have lasted any longer than a few minutes, but to the fat man, and even Alex, who only watched in solemn silence, it seemed to last hours. Finally, the servine's rapid movements stilled, and he tore himself free from the nude inmate, discarding the man to the ground. Chris-Chan curled into a ball, once more reduced to hysterical, incomprehensible sobbing. Terrias only looked on upon the scene, his expression blank as his hemipenes slowly retreated into his torso and he buttoned his pants once more, returning to his perch. Alex soon joined him on the mound, and the two only stared on with the rest of the inmates as Sonichu picked himself up, anxiously running to his friend's side and attempting to calm him. The hedgehog glared up furiously towards the two alphas, but said nothing, returning his attention to his humiliated and violated friend soon after.

"I suspect you will think twice before challenging us again," Alex snarled in a cold tone.

"You could have easily claimed the hedgehog," Terrias whispered to him.

Alex shrugged, "Not right now...maybe later...you're the alpha here, so it's _your_ place to prove your dominance...I'm just along for the ride. Just...can I at least be the one on top?"

Terrias grinned, clapping his friend on the back, "For you? Hmm...maybe I can make a compromise."

"You monsters!" Chris-Chan howled in tears, curled into fetal position, "You monsters...! I didn't do anything to you! I did _nothing_!"

A bell sounded throughout the prison, announcing that recess was over, and as the guards collected the prisoners to begin escorting them back to their cells, Sonichu only continued to glare towards Alex and Terrias, tending to his fallen friend.

"You will pay for this..." the hedgehog swore, "You _WILL_ pay!"


	23. Chapter XXII: Prisoner of War

_**Chapter XXII**_ **:**

 **-''Prisoner of War''-**

 **-New Alexandria, Montana-**

 **- _29 January 2016_ -**

 **- _1004 Hours_ -**

Ruby peered towards the five pillars of light towering into the morning skies. Since their last encounter with the forces of _Filios Diaboli_ invading through the Inner Dimension, several more of the Minor Beams had popped up throughout the city...all of them had been closed off and were being heavily guarded by soldiers, ensuring that nothing managed to break through into the rest of the city. She didn't know what to do or think, all she knew was that none of this was a good sign. The High Command refused to communicate with her, not even bothering to include her in their discussion, and now the dolphin knew how the rest of Alpha Company felt. She herself wasn't High Command, but due to her intimate relationship with the Commander, he had always let her tag along with him to High Command meetings and operations. The sudden cease of knowledge about what was really going on frightened her, even if she knew knew more than they did given what Azazel had told her in the Inner Dimension.

The pillars weren't even limited to New Alexandria: in the headlines, drowning out the usual talk about Alex Vaughn's arrest and the rapid progression of the 'Ruby Clause' were reports of similar beams opening up all over the world, and that number seemed to be growing exponentially every day. Rumors of frightening monstrosities piling out from the vortexes, worse than the shadowy, skeletal demons they had been fighting even, were also spreading around like wildfire, and _nobody_ knew what was going on. Conspiracy theorists had taken to the streets, preaching of the 'end times' and the imminence of God's wrath, and although the dolphin considered herself somewhat religious, namely because she loved Alex, and _he_ was religious, she didn't think God was in any hurry to save His people. If He hadn't saved them from the wrath of the _Maxia_ , the _Caeda_ , the Neo- _Maxian_ Republic, or the Reapers, and now even Vergil, why would he save them from Deitus? She found it sickeningly humorous that the world had forgotten about their past struggles, especially the Reapers, so soon after they had gone by, branding their damning mark upon the planet's face, and further proving that people only thought on a short-term basis.

On the lawn below her, the dolphin watched as Spyro, Cynder, Dash, and Piermont wandered around, the purple dragon likely briefing with the others of the High Command. Ruby only frowned as she watched, sighing and turning to head back inside. She found Lucy standing just inside the room, running to and hugging her tightly, "Are you okay?" the gargoyle asked.

Ruby shrugged, "I'm just tired of being the third wheel."

"Ignore them, they're just jealous because of how much Alex loves you."

"I suppose..."

"They know that their loved ones wouldn't trade their own freedoms to save their lives. Alex did that for you, so they're just jealous that he loves you as much as he does...don't worry."

Ruby smiled, hugging her friend, "I guess you're right."

They were eventually summoned back into the mansion when Rocket let himself into the room, calling, "Spyro wants us to meet with the High Command downstairs, all of Alpha is expected to attend."

The overall tone of the room was grim and sober. Spyro appeared graven, and it was obvious that he had been missing sleep as of late. Ruby, Lucy, and Rocket were the last ones to arrive, but aside from one sinister snarl from Spyro towards the dolphin, nobody seemed to notice. "Listen up!" the dragon began, patrolling around the room, "Last night, one of our bases in South America reported an incident where a Chilean fisherman stumbled upon an island that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere off the coast, this occurring after a series of earthquakes have ravaged the continent the past week or two. Federal officials went to investigate but they lost contact with their reconnaissance flight, a result of what we can only assume to be the aircraft being shot down over the island. A patrol went to the island on foot to investigate but claimed to encounter 'shadow-spirits' which we think may be connected to _Filios Diaboli_."

"Hell do you think this is all about?" Aria asked.

"Residents are calling this place ' _Isla Purgatorio_ ', and if it _is_ indeed where Deitus has taken up residence, we're going to go down there and flush him out."

"How do you supposed we do that?" Rocket asked, "This guy is obviously more powerful than the rest of us, and I'm sure he knows all the hidey holes and corners that the island has to offer. Going in there by ourselves will be suicide."

Spyro grinned, "Which is why I have a plan."

"Which is...?"

The purple dragon frowned, obviously not impressed with the raccoon's insubordination, "One of you is going to scout it out for us."

"We'll get captured!" Rocket exclaimed, "Especially if Deitus has eyes all over the damn place."

"That's the point," Piermont chuckled, "One of you faggots is gonna get captured, locked up, and map out the place for us."

"Precisely," the purple dragon continued, "So, Rocket...what do you say about volunteering?"

"I say kiss my ass, I'm not gonna risk it. Too dangerous."

"What's wrong? Scared?"

"I ain't scared of anything! But I _am_ smart enough to know when the odds are stacked against me."

"Well unfortunately for you, Private," Spyro snarled, "This isn't a suggestion...it's an order."

"That's not fair!" Ruby exclaimed, "He doesn't have enough experience!"

"Oh! Thank you for speaking up, Ruby, I almost forgot about you. We'll go ahead and send you in his place then."

" _What!?_ "

"You'll finally have a chance to prove your worth to this army."

"No," Rocket replied firmly, "She's not going, _I_ will."

"Ooh, a change of heart, huh?"

"Bite me."

"Fair enough..." the dragon nodded, "We'll send you with a party that's going to be intercepted by Deitus' forces just inside of the Peruvian border. Once you get in there, map out the island and the compound, find out where Deitus is, then find a way off the rock and back here for debriefing."

"You're not going to help the guys get out of the ambush?"

"It's called taking one for the team...sometimes you need to make sacrifices to ensure victory."

"What if Deitus _doesn't_ kidnap us? What if he decides to just kill us outright?"

"Then it was an honor serving with you, friend."

Rocket's jaw dropped, a sickening silence fell over the entire room, and one glance around informed the raccoon that _all_ of Alpha Company was stunned by the acting commander's offer. Still, the raccoon—and the rest of the mutant division—were speechless."

"Anyone have anything else to say?" Spyro asked, examining the crowd, "No? Awesome, Rocket, you will meet with Aria and Eli at the airfield in an hour, they'll transport you to our base about eight kilometers north of the border, where we'll put you in position."

Eli broke the silence, "Does the party know that they're being used as live bait?"

"We haven't shared our Intel with them yet," Piermont said, and Spyro nodded.

"So, nobody told them that they're gonna most likely be killed by Deitus and his army."

Silence from the High Command.

"Are you _fucking_ serious?"

"I'm sure they understand risk and the unfortunate fact that sometimes you have to sacrifice something for benefit the army in the long run. Best their fate is left unknown."

"You're willingly sending these men to their deaths!" Eli roared, "And worse off, your sending your own fuckin' brother down there with them!"

"He's not my brother," Spyro growled.

"He's Alpha Company! He's _your_ unit! _Your_ brother, even if not by blood...and you're sending him down there to _die_!"

"If all goes according to plan, he'll get out, get our Intel, and we'll be one step closer to stopping Deitus."

"And what if it doesn't go according to plan!?"

"It will."

"You don't know that!"

"It has to."

"Ain't the same thing!"

"God _damn_ it, Eli will you just fucking _SHUT UP_!?" Spyro hissed, finally losing his patience, "We're riding towards Armageddon right now! We have no room for error! We cannot let _anything_ stop us, because if we keep sitting on our asses and letting Deitus roam free, we _will_ lose! We need to act _now_! We don't have time to waste!"

"Think this through for a moment!"

"I _CAN'T_!" Spyro exclaimed, silencing everyone in the room, "Rocket _will_ go down there, he _will_ get captured, he _will_ map the area, and he _will_ escape back here safely with our Intel! Do you all understand that!?"

Silence from the astonished unit.

"Good..." then Spyro turned to face a stunned Rocket, "Get ready, Private..." and he left the room, storming upstairs.

Upon arriving above the base, Rocket couldn't help but to feel guilty for the knowledge he possessed. The High Command had sent these men to die, and they didn't even know it yet. A grim thought suddenly took over him...were they trying to send _him_ to his death, too? It seemed that, at the center of it all, was Ruby. Anyone who supported her was mistreated by Spyro and Piermont, and given his vocal support of the dolphin, were they sending him here to die? Surely they didn't think that Deitus would just kill some of the group and not all of them. If anything, the raccoon was probably the higher priority given that he was a mutant compared to the others here.

He tried to understand where the High Command was coming from and what they were planning, but no matter how hard he looked at it, it all seemed to come down to a power-hungry bastard deciding to clean house in the long-term absence of his superior. Rocket then wondered why Spyro had instead chosen _him_ to be the sacrificial lamb, one would think that the dragon would have sent Ruby to do the dirty work given the purple dragon's obvious distaste for her, unless the dragon knew that the dolphin would fail if she tried. It was painfully obvious that everyone in Alpha Company was questioning Piermont and Spyro's motives, perhaps even their leadership capabilities, but they were too afraid to say anything, even the eldest members who _should_ have had superiority. The question was why? Why was everyone afraid to speak out against the High Command? Everybody was questioning Spyro's motives, yet nobody else in the unit was acting on it, nobody was confronting him, instead everyone remained silent and submissive, like sheep being led to the slaughter, and this was what Rocket felt like was happening to them. He understood that Alpha Company had been through a lot together, friendships and familial bonds had been formed and tested against all kinds of resistance, but yet everybody was afraid to settle things, to try and find a fair way to lead the army to victory.

The raccoon had questioned Cynder about this after the purple dragon had stormed off, but the she-dragon, sporting a few new noticeable cuts and bruises across her body, had only told him firmly not to question it, just to go with the flow. Alex had elected Spyro as his wing-second and second-in-command, meaning that it was the dragon's duty to command Alpha Company should the Great Commander be unable to do so, and Alpha Company was to acknowledge and respect the dragon's authority, even if there didn't seem to be any logic in it. Spyro's ability to command had been tested time and time again, and despite everything he had proven to be on top of it all, this was no different. Even as the dragon become more bitter, more demanding, more ferocious, one thing was certain: he was an effective, efficient soldier. He did his job and he did it well. When the raccoon had confronted Cynder on her wounds, the she-dragon had only replied that it was to be expected. As Spyro aged and matured, he was becoming more in tune with a male dragon's desire for dominance. Her words and tone didn't match up, however, and the raccoon couldn't help but to feel that there was something more going on than she would let on.

Yet another thing Rocket disliked about Spyro's command...the visible wedge he had driven in communication between the High Command and Alpha Company. Sure the two units were technically separate and to be treated as such, but Alex had always included _everyone_ around him in planning and strategy. Even if most of Alpha Company agreed to whatever he suggested, due to his rank, they were still given the option to speak their minds on it, and more often than not Alex would make adjustments if an argument posed to him was convincing enough. Here, however, in stark contrast to Alex's openness on his plans, with a few glaring exceptions, Spyro remained tight-lipped around the other 'lesser' members that comprised Alpha Company, holding conference behind closed doors with the High Command, demanding secrecy and refusing anyone to speak of anything that was said during these private meetings. In private conversations the raccoon had shared with the elder members of Alpha Company, they had told him that, prior to Alex's presumed death and the Reaper invasion the previous year, Spyro had been respectable, kind, and fair, even if a little naïve and whiny at times. Something had changed, however, with most of them blaming the sudden weight of stress put upon his shoulders as the catalyst for his grim evolution.

When Rocket finally met with his doomed squad, seven young men fresh out of their teens and ready to prove their loyalty and worth to the worldwide Terminator Militia, the raccoon felt ill. He could barely contain his rising stomach as he was led into the back of the truck and the vehicle rocketed off into the jungle. The men exchanged stories of home, family, boot camp, and their own personal interests, getting to know one another, all the while exhibiting their pride in being selected by New Alexandria itself to partake in this operation, feeling special and important, as if there was something that made them more qualified above everyone else for this 'top secret' mission. Only the raccoon knew the truth: they were to be cannon-fodder, and the very thought of this only sickened him more. Several times, the men tried to engage in conversation with him, but the raccoon remained uncharacteristically silent and stone-faced, ignoring everyone around him and forcefully separating his consciousness from this mission and its predetermined outcome. To keep morale up, he assured them that he wasn't ignoring them out of spite, only to get himself into the mindset of the upcoming operation, and he was saddened to see the others in the group try to follow his example. Although a rookie himself, fresh out of training, he was _still_ Alpha Company, and as such was placed onto an almost deific pedestal by these impressionable young men. To lead them to their deaths like this was a heavy weight on his shoulders, they worshiped him, and he was leading them straight to the slaughter. In an attempt to hint the twist ending plotted for the mission, Rocket suggested that his gut sensed something was off, even though he knew for a fact it was. He, despite being nonreligious himself, asked them to pray for safety and well-being, claiming that this was what he did to try and persuade the gods to sway the winds of the upcoming mission in their favor. He even guided them in prayer, lowering his head and joining hands, but not closing his eyes, and reciting the first comforting thing to come to mind.

It wasn't long after they crossed into Chile that all hell broke loose. The vehicles leading their column swerved to a stop as leagues of Thralls poured out of the surrounding foliage, howling animalistically and charging towards the group. The misty, shadowy demons of _Filios Diaboli_ climbed out of the mountain, joining in the offense and the more seasoned veterans leading the friendly column went on the defense...but the doomed convoy stood nary a chance of success. Rocket watched, horrified, as the massive number of Thralls and _Filios Diaboli_ , outnumbering the friendly forces dozens to one, utterly massacred the convoy with little effort. Suddenly, a scalding heat surged through his shoulder and he fell to the ground, paw grasping where blood now poured from his back. He rotated to find one of the Thralls standing behind him, preparing to stab once more with his blade. The raccoon dodged the attack, tearing the blade free from the Thrall's hand and unzipping the creature's torso, covering the small animal in black blood and decomposing gore. Within minutes, the raccoon was all that remained, surrounding in a sea of blood, bodies, and gore. Deitus' forces turned their attentions towards him, but he resisted, managing to hold his ground for several minutes thanks to his mutations. It wasn't until he was recognized as a threat that _Filios Diaboli_ attacked him not with the intention to kill, but the intention to wound. After ensuring he had avenged his slain comrades as much as he could, Rocket finally surrendered, allowing himself to be cornered by the shadow-demons. They grabbed onto him, pulling him to the ground, and he exclaimed in surprise as they sank back into the ground, pulling him down into the dirt with them. He tried to crawl his way out of the abyss, but with a pained scream, the ground was torn out from beneath him and he sank into the muddy street as if it were quicksand. Mud filled his mouth and nose, suffocating him, he tried to scream one final time but ultimately fell silent as the lack of oxygen finally hit him and he passed out.

When Rocket finally came to, he was being dragged across a beautifully ornate, marble grand hall towards somewhere unknown. He was bound and gagged, and the shadow-demons dragging him, their grasp like cold, slick, melted flesh, chattered on in an unrecognizable language. Upon finally entering the throne room, Rocket was blinded by the surprising amount of light, emitting from various candles and falls of magma, slowly flowing from cracks in the wall to holes in the floor. He was forced into a kneeling position, and upon glancing around him, he found several other creatures, both shadow-demons _and_ thralls, kneeling before the throne out of worship and respect. The raccoon heard a sarcastic clap, and his beady eyes shot furiously up to face an almost angelic being that Alex and Terrias would instantly recognize as the host of the _Devil's Arena_ during their stay there many years earlier. He wore an arrogant, bemused grin, and with a chuckle, the satyr said in a deep, mocking voice, "Well, well, well! What do we have here, hmm? I see my mom never lost her interest in furry little critters...or were you my dear old daddy's choice?"

"Who the hell are you?" Rocket growled.

"Me? Well..." the demon chuckled, "Let's just say that I'm an _old friend_. Although it does kinda hurt my feelings that you don't remember me. I remember you though, it's been a long time Gadriel, how's the lovely Muriel doing these days?"

"Fuck off!"

"Ooh! Someone's got a mouth! No need to be disrespectful Gadriel, I just wanna know how my old friend is doing. It's been so many years after all."

Rocket chuckled, "Well, I was right about one thing...you're definitely one ugly son of a bitch."

"Hey, I dunno what you're talking about, I'm gorgeous!" he laughed, "Just check out these pecs!" and the demon flexed, "I'm the manliest of men!"

When Rocket said nothing, only continued snarling in disgust towards the creature, Deitus sighed.

"You're a lot less fun than you used to be, Gadriel. I mean, I remember those lovely days where we would hang out by the bonfire with the rest of my dad's friends, and you and I would drink and try to prove who was more manly."

"My name's not Gadriel," Rocket snarled.

"Well, I guess it has been probably like...two...three thousand reincarnations since we've last talked. I've lost track. Y'know, being chained up in Purgatory _really_ makes the days just kinda...melt together. Like, just the other day I found out that it's been over two thousand years since that silly old carpenter was executed after claiming to be the 'Son of God', can you believe it? I remember it like it was only yesterday...ah...wonderful memories."

Rocket continued to maintain his silence until, with an exaggerated sigh, Deitus groaned.

"Can somebody just put him in the dungeon for me? I'm bored already."

Rocket was escorted through the snaking corridors of Deitus' castle into the very bowels of the structure, and upon reaching the dungeon, several Thralls opened the cell door, carelessly throwing him into the room beyond before slamming the door shut. As it was bolted and the guards walked away, the raccoon snarled, looking towards where the creatures left. With a sigh, the raccoon looked around small, stone cell, collapsing onto a thin layer of hay laying sprawled out upon the dungeon floors. "Swear to God, Spyro, this better be friggin' worth it."

"They got you, too?" a feminine voice spoke and the raccoon stiffened, abruptly looking around.

"Who's there?" he asked.

Suddenly, he was aware of two beady eyes poking out at him through the bars of an adjacent cell, and as his eyes finally adjusted to the light, he frowned at what he saw. A small red fox lounged in a pile of hay two cells down from him, and she said again, staring towards him with an arrogant smile, "I should be asking _you_ the same thing."

"Fair enough," the raccoon replied, "Name's Rocket."

She grinned again, "Scarlet."

"Can every animal talk now?"

"I'll have you know, you can thank those stupid fucking demons for this. Used to be a whole bunch of people like me. He was building an army for something, he wouldn't say what...too bad his cronies have some anger issues. I'm the only one still left."

"Why would Deitus need an army of animals?" 

"Well I dunno! S'not like he told us all his plans!"

"Why are you the only one left?"

"Cause I learned to keep my mouth shut unless they specifically called on me to speak. You'll be surprised how far that gets you."

Rocket's eyes narrowed, but Scarlet maintained her prideful demeanor, still wearing that big grin. Finding himself speechless, the raccoon only shook his head with a sigh, sitting back down on the floor.

"Aww, cheer up, hon," Scarlet cooed from the other cell, "Don't be so thin-skinned."

"I'm not," the raccoon replied, smirking back towards her, "I'm just doing what you said."

"Ooh, a submissive one? You'll be a fun one to play with."

"Don't even think about it."

"What, I'm just sayin', the demons are gonna _love_ you."

"What about you?"

She grinned even wider, "Now, now, I don't fuck on the first date, nice try. S'not really saying that you and I won't be able to do something later down the road, you are pretty cute after all, but for now, let's just take things nice, easy, and slow...as hard as that'll be for me."

"You and me both."

She chuckled, laying back down again, "Glad to have some company...it gets kinda lonely down here, even with that little boy visiting now and again."

"Little boy?" Rocket asked, but Scarlet had fallen silent.

Rocket had been dozing within the darkness of his cell when the dungeon's heavy steel door squeaked open. Instantly, he was alert, eyes shooting up to spy his visitor. A small figure stood in the doorway, slinking into the room with trays of food, sad, orange eyes staring down at the ground.

"Azazel?" Rocket asked, astonished, and the boy was instantly alert, looking around for the source of the sound. The raccoon approached the bars of his cell, wrapping his small paws around the bars and squinting through the light leaking through the doorway, "Zaz...what are _you_ doing here!?"

"R...Rocket!?" the goat boy exclaimed, surprised. Instead of the dingy blue cloak he normally wore whenever he appeared before Alpha Company, the goat demon boy was now clad in a velvet tunic, dyed a brilliant crimson and decorated with various runes, including Deitus' coat of arms, which Rocket had seen scattered throughout the castle earlier and on tapestries dangling from the ceiling. "What are you _doing_ here, Rocket?" the boy asked, horrified, "They don't have anyone else do they?"

"No," Rocket's eyes narrowed, "I came alone..." then, "What are _you_ doing _here_!?"

Azazel blushed, looking away, ashamed, "This..." he began in a small voice, "This is my home..."

"Who are you really?" the raccoon scowled.

The goat boy sighed, appearing on the verge of tears, he bore his teeth in his trademark exclamation of fear and unhappiness before saying in a tone indicative of self-hatred and disgust, "The son of Deitus."

"You bastard!" the raccoon hissed, "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I knew how you would react," Azazel responded, "I'm not proud of myself either...I wish I would have never been born. Every day, I regret my mama ever bringing me into this horrible world..." he sniffled, near tears, "My mom, a mere, nameless slave, was the only one who cared about me...and my father killed her in front of me in a fit of rage. I didn't tell you my parentage because I was afraid of what you would do to me, I was afraid you wouldn't be able to trust me, and all I wanted to do was help you stop my father from returning. I'm not asking for love, I'm not asking for respect, I'm just asking for trust..." and gently placing the trays down in front of the two prisoners' cells, Azazel stood up and hurried away.

"He's not a bad guy..." Scarlet suddenly said, attracting Rocket's attention once more, "And he really does hate himself for being the son of that devil."

"He lied to us."

"Wouldn't you, too, if _you_ were the son of some kind of genocidal monster? He's just a kid, he doesn't wanna hurt nobody, and he has no intention _of_ hurting nobody."

"Why doesn't he just run away then? Why does he keep coming back?"

"Because he's a prisoner here...he can't hide from his father, that devil knows wherever he is at all times."

"Bullshit, he sneaks out to talk to my guys all the time."

"Then he's taking a huge risk."

"Hey..." a soft voice spoke, awakening Rocket from his slumber. The raccoon shot up from a nightmare centered around the Reapers, anxiously looking around to find Azazel standing by his cell door, frowning and unhappy.

"What do you want?" Rocket replied, more bitterly than intended.

"I'm sorry for lying to you guys...I was just...I was afraid of how you'd react if you knew the truth. Everybody seems to think that I'm like my father...but I'm not. I don't _like_ hurting people, I don't _like_ killing people..." Azazel then approached him, noticing Rocket's shoulder, "Can you come here for a second?" the small demon boy asked.

Reluctantly, Rocket approached him, sitting down with his back against the cell door. With tender, furry hands, Azazel gently spread apart the matted fur to expose the energy.

"Does it hurt?" the demon asked.

Rocket shook his head, "Stiff more than anything now. Hurt like a bitch when it first happened."

"Hold still for a second..." and the raccoon was suddenly overwhelmed by a very strange feeling, as if his energy was being drained, "You might feel lightheaded and tired for a bit, but I promise you, you'll feel better soon."

Suddenly afraid that Azazel was going to kill him, the raccoon moved to protest before, with one slight, subtle shaking of the head by Scarlet, who was laying curled into a ball, her muzzle buried beneath her paw until only her black, beady eyes shone at him, he relaxed. Soon, that draining sensation ceased and Rocket released his held breath as a powerful wave of pleasure and relief settled over him. His borrowed life energy felt as if not only had it been returned, but even _more_ had been added to it. He felt well-rested, well-nourished, and best of all, he felt no more pain or aching stiffness. Lightly brushing the injury once Azazel had stepped back, Rocket was surprised to find that it had completely healed.

"How did you..." the raccoon began, "Even my mutations couldn't heal it!"

Azazel smiled, "I inherited Lifehunt from my father...but I'm not going to be like him, I'm not going to use it to harvest people's souls and fuel my own immortality. I prefer to heal people, to relieve them of their problems, not kill them or inflict suffering. Please believe me, I'm not my father, I'm _nothing_ like my father..." with a sigh, the goat boy looked around, "I need to get back upstairs before somebody finds out I'm missing...listen, I will try to find a way to free you, just give me some time, okay?" and the boy stood up, hurrying off.

Rocket stood in place, dumbfounded, his jaw dropped, unable to believe what had just happened.

"See?" Scarlet spoke up, "He's a good kid. He didn't ask to be born into that family, don't hold it against him."

"He seems miserable."

"He is...he's constantly either neglected or abused by his father, and the kids got some...pardon the pun...inner demons that he's constantly dealing with. He was too afraid to share with me, but he's suffering...I just wish there was something I could do to ease his struggles."

"Maybe..."

Rocket awoke to the sound of the dungeon door slamming open once again. Groaning, he sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and holding an arm up against the light seeping into the dark chamber. Azazel hurriedly dropped off the food trays, whispering to Rocket, "There's cell key in the soup...just...make sure you wait awhile before making your escape...I don't want anyone to suspect me."

Rocket said nothing, only watched as Azazel deposited Scarlet's breakfast before hurrying out of the room, closing the door behind him and thrusting the room into an seemingly endless darkness yet again. He ate quickly, soon exposing an old key, appearing to have been recently scrubbed clean, near the bottom of the bowl. He hid this beneath his some straw, laying back down as a demonic guard entered the room to sweep up the trays. While he waited for the moment to strike, he thought himself thinking over the plan, and what he was going to do once he got back to New Alexandria. He would make sure that Spyro knew and suffered for what he put those men through, and the raccoon did not care what happened to him in the process.

Several demonic guards forced their way into the cell a few hours later, seeming to search for something. They ordered Rocket to remain still in a corner of the room, facing the wall, and the raccoon barely had time to reclaim the key and hide it in on him before the guards began their violent search. When the guards, unable to find what they were looking for, reluctantly left after an hour of tearing the place apart, Rocket finally decided it was time to act. He waited until the guards had left the room and the sound of footsteps had faded before quietly and quickly poking the key through the bars, unlocking his cell and swinging open the squeaky door. He closed and locked it behind him, hurrying across the room to Scarlet's cell. Soon, the red fox was alert, and she began, "What the...how did you get out?"

Rocked shushed her, "Quiet! I'm gonna get us _both_ out!" he quickly unlocked her door with the key, throwing it open and ushering her out, "C'mon! Quick! We need to get out of here ASAP!"

They slipped out of the dungeon, finding themselves in a well-lit hall that seemed to stretch on endlessly. Upon hearing footsteps echoing around the stone corridors, the distance impossible to determine, Rocket hurried over to one of the holes in the floor, quickly scampering up the stone wall and through the hole, finding himself in a small, snaking tunnel that connected this floor with the next one up.

"Stay close to me!" the raccoon hissed, vanishing into the darkness, "Stay quiet!"

"No need to tell me twice..." Scarlet replied, following him.

They emerged on the next floor several minutes later, Rocket sticking to the shadows until several more of the demonic knights had passed by. Checking both ways to ensure he wouldn't get caught, the raccoon slinked out from his hiding place, quickly dashing towards another opening in the wall that would take him to the floor above. They continued this pattern, sneaking through countless floors of the castle before finally reaching what they assumed to be Deitus' quarters. They could hear muffled screaming, sounding like a woman yelling at someone, and beneath that they could hear the small, frightened voice of Azazel in one of the rooms beyond.

"I feel so sorry for him..." Scarlet said, her tone heavy.

"There's nothing we can do for him right now," Rocket replied, "Anyway, let's keep going, we're almost out."

Upon finally reaching the highest point they could, they ran through a cluster of empty, dusty servants' quarters, emerging on the other side upon a balcony that completely encircled the perimeter of the grand hall and throne room. The floor had long-since collapsed to either side of them, making it complete impassable, but at least now they had a clear view of the exit...they just had to find a way to get down. They were suddenly aware of a deep, distinct voice starting to speak from below them, one that Rocket recognized, although it spoke an unknown language, and one that filled his heart with dread, "Oh you've _got_ to be shitting me..." he replied, quietly crawling across the ground until he had a view of the throne below.

As he had feared, Vergil stood in one piece beside the Lifehunter, speaking with the immortal archdemon. The multiversal seemed to be in perfect health, no sign of his apparent death remaining, and Rocket scowled.

"Who's that?" Scarlet asked beside the raccoon.

"Frigging Vergil...supposedly Deitus killed him to restore his full power. We saw the guy exploded into a million different pieces, so _why_ is he still alive!?"

"Oh, my silly, gullible friend..." Deitus suddenly began, raising his deep voice and chuckling, "I am the _master_ of Life and Death! Nothing dies unless I _tell_ it, too!" and the demon turned his orange eyes to where Rocket and Scarlet were huddled together, "Now, I don't quite know how you managed to escape your cell, but I'm afraid that you can't leave. Vergil, my dear, if you would please obliterate these stupid animals."

The multiversal was soon ensconced in mist, which proceeded to sink into the ground until it completely dissipated. "Oh shit!" Rocket hissed, helping Scarlet to her feet, "We need to get outta here!"

From out of nowhere, they could hear crazed screams, and the two barely had time to dodge as three Thralls charged from the shadows towards them. Rocket countered by tackling into one of them, tearing the possessed man's shotgun free before kicking the creature down to the floor below. Following this, he dodged another mad rush by the second Thrall, sending it plummeting to its doom below as well. When the third one prepared to charge, the raccoon turned his newly acquire shotgun upon the creature, blowing him away. The raccoon reclaimed the slain creature's weapon—a sniper rifle—and tossed it to Scarlet.

"You know how to use this?" he asked.

Scarlet answered by reloading and cocking the weapon, standing on and rotating upon her rear paws to fire five consecutive headshots against a few newly arriving Thralls, "What does that tell you?" she replied, wearing a grin.

His jaw dropped, Rocket muttered, "I love you, girl," before hurrying towards the edge of the balcony. A chain dangled before them, tethering a chandelier to the ceiling. Five chandeliers were lined up in a row between them and the mighty doors to the entrance hall, and Rocket chuckled, "I _think_ I've got a plan..."

Rock a mighty smack of the butt of his weapon against one of the chain's links, the chandelier snapped free and crashed down onto the polished, marble floors below. "Rocket!?" Scarlet exclaimed, and the raccoon turned to see black mist seeping from the floor combing into a solid form to reveal Vergil's pallid face, wearing a sinister smile.

"Climb on!" the raccoon hissed, and once the red fox had quickly scampered onto his back, wrapping her forepaws around his neck, Rocket took a leap of faith off of the balcony, grabbing onto the chain and hoping it held. Like acrobats in an aerial performance, the duo swung over the fall, using the momentum of the movement to flip in the air. Rocket shot the next chandelier in the line, grabbing onto its dangling chain and swinging _this_ to the next one in the series, sliding ever lower towards the floor. Upon reaching the final one, he flipped from the end of the chain, landing a measly ten feet below on the floor of the chamber, near the door. With Scarlet's help, they flipped the nearby lever to open the door, rushing out into the noonday sun.

Upon crossing the rotted wooden drawbridge, extending over the magma swirling in the volcano below them, onto the crater's rim, they were surrounded by _Filios Diaboli_ , crawling out of the ground. Rocket peered over the edge of the mountain, spying a steep grade down to the wild, untamed jungle extending for miles around below them. Way ahead in the distance, they could see the Pacific Ocean shining in the light. The crack of a sniper rifle startled Rocket from his thoughts, and he turned to spy Scarlet easily and nimbly dancing around the attacking demons, shooting them with astonishing accuracy without so much as using the scope. Although the bullets themselves didn't hurt the shadowy creatures, it was enough to send them scattering and sinking into the ground.

"This is gonna sound really, _really_ stupid," Rocket began, "But we're gonna jump!"

" _What_!? Are you crazy?"

"Just trust me!" and grabbing onto her small, furry paws, Rocket leaped from the edge of the volcano, pulling her with him. They struck the side of the wall tumbling and somersaulting down its face until landing harshly, but safely, on the muddy floor of the jungle. They picked themselves up, Scarlet shaking the mud and leaves off of her crimson fur before turning to face the raccoon, "Okay, so _now_ what?"

"Now we get the hell outta here!"

They raced through the jungle, Rocket muttering, "God damn it, Spyro! You better be ready!"

When they finally reached the beach, the raccoon was relieved to find that Alpha Company had received his telepathic summons and were waiting upon the beach, ready to engage the pursuing enemy forces. Of course, however, the High Command remained nowhere to be seen. Armed with incendiary rounds, the unit obliterated the shadow-demons, with the other members neutralizing the accompanying Thralls using other, close quarters methods.

When at last there was some respite, Rocket caught his breath for a moment before guiding both Scarlet and himself onto the Hornet, slamming the door shut and slapping the side of the machine, "A'ight! We're all here!"

As the Hornet emerged from its teleportation vortex over New Alexandria, Scarlet elbowed Rocket to gain his attention, "Hey...thanks for the rescue."

"No problem," the raccoon replied.

"Guess I owe you a shot then, huh? Even though I _did_ get more kills than you."

Rocket chuckled, "Better idea, how about we compromise: I'll admit that you're so much better than I am, _but_ I get a date."

She sighed playfully, "Okay, I guess that's fair..."

Back in New Alexandria, with Scarlet on his heels, Rocket stormed into the mansion, angrily glancing around, "SPYRO! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!?"

"What do you want?" the purple dragon called down, slowly trudging down the stairs, "Did you get what we were looking for?"

Baring his teeth, the raccoon tackled the dragon to the ground, pulling a blade to his throat. Spyro fought against the raccoon, but his agility was much greater than the dragon's and eventually Spyro submitted, "You listen here you fucking cunt! You have the blood of seven innocent men on your hands! I hope karma comes back around and bites you _real_ hard in the ass!"

"Get off me!" Spyro snarled, "Or I will have you executed!"

"I would _love_ to see you try!" Rocket hissed, "But you are a _murderer_! You are no better than Deitus!"

The dragon chuckled, "You want to get into specifics? You brought someone who _isn't_ a member of Alpha Company into our home, someone who is part of the _enemy_ , invading our privacy and secrets...I can turn this around and slam you for treason if I wanted."

"Try it, I _dare_ you! Heinrich won't shit on your case and use it for toilet paper!"

"Last time..." Spyro growled, baring his fangs, "Get. Off. Me."

By now, they had attracted the rest of Alpha Company and the High Command to spectate upon the event. Rocket's eyes quickly snapped up to spy Ruby standing near the rear of the crowd, frowning and looking away. "You got lucky this time," Rocket hissed, climbing off of the dragon and sheathing the knife.

Spyro picked himself up, rubbing his throat, "Try that again, and _I_ will _personally_ put a bullet between your fucking eyes," and with this, the dragon returned upstairs.


	24. Chapter XXIII: Escapists

_**Chapter XXIII**_ **:**

 **-''Escapists''-**

 **-Terminus Penitentiary: Blackgorge, New Mexico-**

 **- _07 February 2016_ -**

 **- _0219 Hours_ -**

" _Alex..." a soft voice calls out, rousing him from his slumber. Instantly, he opens his eyes, sitting up to find himself sleeping in on the floor of a dark, midnight forest. The canopy above is too dark to see anything, and he can just make out the shapes of jungle flora around him. "Alex..." the voice calls again, and Alex is suddenly alert, recognizing it as belonging to his lover._

" _Ruby!?" he calls out into the darkness, "Ruby! Where are you!?"_

" _Alex..." the voice moans again, "It...hurts...help me!"_

 _In a flash, the Commander is on his feet, chasing after Ruby's voice, trying to find its source, "I'm here!" he cries as loud as he can, "Hold on Ruby! I'm coming just...hold on!"_

" _The pain...the_ pain... _it hurt! It_ HURTS! _"_

" _Hold on a little longer!" Alex exclaims frantically, pushing and shoving his way through the thick foliage, searching for any sign of his lover's location. She moans again, a pained whistle in her voice, further driving the Commander to hurry. He is soon aware of her breathing, labored, shallow, and liquid. "Who hurt you!?" he calls out into the encompassing darkness, "Ruby! WHO HURT YOU!?"_

" _You said you would never leave me...again..."_

" _Ruby! I'm sorry!" Alex is near tears, "Please understand, I didn't_ mean _to leave you! I meant to_ save you _!"_

" _You lied_ again _..."_

" _Ruby! Please!"_

" _And now that Spyro has sent Rocket to his death...there's nothing keep me here anymore."_

" _RUBY! NO!"_

 _A gunshot sounds, filling his heart with dread, but in the blink of an eye, he's no longer in the forest. Now, he's behind Club Camelot, the skies above painted a moody gray. Rain drifts from the heavens and a huge congregation is around the backyard, pointing, snickering, and taunting something up above. Alex turns his eyes to the sky, his cold blue eyes succumbing to a glimmer of pure, unadulterated horror and fear. Ruby stands upon the balcony of the penthouse floor, preparing to jump._

" _RUBY!" Alex calls, "DON'T DO IT! PLEASE!"_

" _Liar..." she whispers, her voice silent and ghastly, but still audible to the Commander's ears, "You told me you were always going to be there for me._ You _said you would never leave me again...and you_ lied _."_

" _Ruby, please! It's not my fault!" he collapses to the ground, succumbing to sobs, "Please!" he cries, "I'm sorry...don't do it! Oh, please God, don't do it!"_

" _Prayers will not save you..." the dolphin continues, her voice overlapped several times, and a hint of malicious sadism is in her tone, as she finally dives off the balcony,"You are no hero."_

 _Alex rushes to the sight of where the creature had fallen, only to collapse at the sight of her crumpled form. "No..." Alex replies, mouth agape._

" _You couldn't even save your best friend!" as the creature says this, Ruby's form and voice twist and morph into that of Zack._

 _Alex falls to his knees, "Forgive me..."_

" _There is no forgiveness..." the beast continued, his voice warping once more into a deep, layered, sinister grumble, with a hint of mockery, "There is no mercy...there is only sin. My father, who once was in Heaven, shallow be thy name. Thy kingdom gone, thy will undone in Heaven as it was on Earth. Give us this day, our daily blood, and damn us our sins, as we have damned our sinners. And lead us into temptation, deliver us to Evil," the beast devolves into wild cackles. Suddenly, the beast warps into yet_ another _form, that of a tall knight in charred armor, what Alex recognizes as Messorem's. The Commander falls back in fear as the demon rises from the ground, slowly approaching him. Each step of the immense, towering beast causes the ground to quake and rumble, cracking and splitting to allow the fiery lights of Hell to shine through. The demon draws two swords: one a bright blue crystal that glimmers and shines with its own radiating light, the other a twisted, dark green, impossibly curved blade that has a cloud of sanguine mist circling around it, as if the mist itself is sentient. Alex flees from the beast, barely managing to avoid the attacks. Each slam of the sword into the earth causes more and more chunks of it to break away, falling infinitely into the fiery abyss below._

 _The Commander barely manages to stay ahead of the collapsing ground, even as it crumbles and falls beneath his teeth. Each blow of the blades against the ground stumbles him, and he finds that every second the collapse of the ground becomes faster and faster than him. He slides to a stop over a precarious cliff as the ground around him shatters and falls into the steamy fires below, reeking of sulfur and charred flesh. Ghastly screams echo around him, and as he rotates to face where he had come from, finding trapped on a small, rapidly shrinking platform, the hellish knight continues its slow but steady trudge. Finally, the knight is upon him, and as it brings down its blades upon the Commander, he squeezes his eyes shut, screaming until..._

..."ALEX!" Terrias whispers harshly, "Alex wake up!"

The Commander shoots up with a start, viciously looking around him, his breath rapid and shallow. The servine had climbed out of bed and was now positioning himself near the cell doors, peeking out as far as he could through the bars. Alex collapsed back in bed, still struggling to reclaim his breath, even as Terrias harshly pushed to get him on his feet. "What the hell do you want?" Alex asked.

"God damn it, stupid! Look!" and Alex turned to face his friend again. With gentle pressure upon the cell door, it squeaked open, and Terrias glared towards the Commander, eyes also hiding a certain fear, "Something isn't right..."

Alex climbed out of bed, quickly dressing himself and creeping out into the hall beyond their cell. The first thing he noticed was the unsettling, unnatural silence the permeated the block. Following this, he also noticed that all of the other cells, despite being still closed and locked shut, were completely empty... "Where's all the prisoners?" Alex asked.

Terrias cast him a grim smile, "What the hell is going on?"

They both heard what sounded like a man screaming, coming from down the hall and rousing both of their attentions, "Oh fuck...!" Alex exclaimed, "What was that!?"

"I don't know," Terrias replied soberly, "Follow me."

Every cell they passed was empty, even though every door was closed and locked. There wasn't a single soul in sight, and aside from the cry they had heard earlier, there was not a sound to be heard. As they navigated the labyrinth of halls, they were alarmed by yet another pained howl. Instantly, they turned to face the source of the sound, running towards it. Passing into an adjacent hall, they were met with a grisly sight. The floors and walls were splattered with blood, even though there were no bodies around to be seen. Through his peripheral vision, Alex saw something long, black, and serpentine quickly retreat into the vent ducts near the ceiling, but upon looking towards them, he saw nothing.

Turning down another hall, there was a loud bang, startling both of the escaped inmates. Before they even had a chance to recover from this scare, the ceiling above shattered and broke, raining dust and debris upon their heads, and the corpse of a security guard, tangled in wiring, fell down from above, dangling before their eyes, its dehydrated face frozen in an 'O' of shock. The body itself was extremely withered and dry, as if it had been drained of all fluids and left to dry in the sun. "Jesus Christ, Alex! What the hell is going on!?" Terrias exclaimed.

They continued on, finally reaching the cage. The hub was shrouded in darkness, with a single blinding light beaming down upon the center of the cage itself. More congealing blood coated the area, but there were no bodies in sight. As they rounded a corner, approaching the entrance into the cage, they were startled yet again as another dehydrated corpse, this one of an inmate, was thrown against the bars by an unseen entity. Terrias gently pushed against the door to the cage, wincing as it squeaked open, and the duo walked inside. Instantly, the door slammed shut behind them, and they both turned abruptly to see thick, smooth, oily-black tentacles poke out from the grating in the floor to block off the exit. Seeing as the only way to go was to continue forward, they did, alert for whatever surprises lay ahead. Rounding a corner, on the opposite side of the mount upon which they would perch during rec areas, they were treated to the sight of another man screaming and howling as the tentacles impaling him sapped all fluid in his body, converting him into a mummified husk, much like the other bodies they had discovered. The body was then carelessly thrown aside into a nearby pile—what had become of most of the guards and all of the missing inmates—and Alex and Terrias readied themselves for the entity to expose itself. The air around mass of disembodied tentacles shimmered and a hulking, satyric beast appeared. His skin was a dark, rough maroon, covered in patches of sores and flakes. His legs were like a goat's but thick and meaty, the fur upon it a dark, woody brown, and his eyes were a bright, luminescent orange. From his back, dozens of those tentacles sprouted, and the beast wore a wide, toothy grin, exposing rows of fangs. He greeted, "Well, well, well...long time no see!"

"You!" Alex growled, "You were in the _Devil's Arena_!"

"Oh my guillible little daddy, I _am_ the _Devil's Arena_. How else am I supposed to entertain myself while I wait for some sorry twat to set me free and break my chains? A guy's gotta find _something_ to do, and eventually you grow tired of earthly pleasures like sex, murder, and...chocolate..." he chuckled.

"Let me guess..." Terrias began, " _You_ are Deitus?"

"DING! DING! DING! We have a winner! Actually no, not really," he chuckled again, "I'm a _projection_ of Deitus, but you're close enough so I'll give you that."

Alex grunted, "What the hell do you want?"

"Oh, nothing much...just the heads of my dear old mommy and daddy on a pike. My throne room could use some fresh décor...corpses tend to rot after a few thousand years." 

"So why don't you just kill us already?" Terrias grinned darkly, "I mean, shit, we're already here, might as well get it over with, why bother wasting the time and effort to flip this place? Not like its a fine piece of real estate."

"Well, you see...here's the thing. I don't like my prey handed to me on a silver platter. I mean, c'mon! The hunt is half the fun! Surely _you_ can agree, don't you Messy?"

Alex scowled.

"Unfortunately, there's not much fun in poking a chained beast...so I've decided that I'm gonna be a nice guy and let you spread your wings. Shit, I'll even give you a ten second head start!" and with a snap of his furry fingers, the previously sealed door leading out to the lobby slapped open, "So..." he examined his wrist, as if glancing at a watch, "You have about...eh...sixty seconds until reinforcements arrive so...best be on your way! Toodles!" and in a flash of light, he vanished. Alex and Terrias quickly exchanged alarmed glances, their paralysis breaking as they made a break for the door.

As soon as they piled through it, they heard rabid screams from down the hall, "We've got company!" Terrias exclaimed, continuing ahead towards the front entrance with Alex hot on his heels. A fireteam rounded the corner, immediately shooting towards them. Just as they thought they were going to get hit, they were startled to watch the bullets stop abruptly in midair before them. Deitus' avatar then shimmered into view once more, and with a giddy laugh, the bullets dropped to the floor and he stabbed at them with his tentacles. He impaled most of them, either draining them of their life force like the other victims, or tearing them into pieces, discarding the various dismembered body parts around the area. Standing between Alex, Terrias, and the door, three guards were in position, one with an RPG aimed towards the duo, the other two flanking him with assault rifles. The one with the RPG fired towards them, but Deitus grabbed the rocket out of the air with his tentacles, swinging it around and throwing it back at the guards, blowing them away. Several more fired at them from behind, but Deitus quickly vanished from view, materializing behind the escaping prisoners He quickly slaughtered these guards as well, leaving Alex and Terrias to flee into the prison yard.

In the clear skies above, stars twinkled, and a glowing white vortex swirled above the prison. Hundreds of massive tentacles emerged from the vortex, encircling the prison and having punched through several walls and windows as well. They took one look at this before rotating on their heels and making a break for the badly damaged prison fence, quickly mantling over it and rolling down a small bluff to the endless desert beyond. As Terrias hopped onto the fence, it gave out from beneath him and he slipped, rolling down the hill and landing painfully on his leg, twisting the foot completely around. "Alex!" he cried out, out of breath, and the Commander quickly returned to his side. Already his foot was beginning to swell, and clean white bone poked through his flesh.

"Shit, Terrias..."

"Gimme a hand!" the servine hissed, and Alex complied, picking up the Pokemon and carrying him off into the wilderness beyond. Behind them, Deitus' laughter echoed across the skies as the tentacles quickly pulled back from the prison into the vortex, and the portal itself snapped shut with an audible boom like that of thunder.


	25. Chapter XXIV: The Power Keeper

_**Chapter XXIV**_ **:**

 **-''The Power Keeper''-**

 **-Seattle, Washington-**

 **- _10 February 2016_ -**

 **- _2230 Hours_ -**

"Move it, Cynder!" Spyro roared, flying fast and low, hugging the ground. Explosions occurred around him and he struggled to evade the onslaught. Another rocket exploded in front of him, sent him spiraling towards the ground and crashing painfully into the street, "Fucking hell...!" he exclaimed, "Look out guys! They're zeroing in on our position!"

"Never would have expected the Thralls to be this accurate," Dash growled, "Almost prefer _Filios Diaboli_ over this!"

"Least these things are easy enough to kill!"

The dragon hissed as the shrapnel injuries in his wings healed and he righted himself. Up ahead, the Beam, their target, loomed menacingly over the city. Spyro continued towards the Beam, cutting through any and all enemy forces that lay between Alpha Company and their destination. His only hope was that they could find some way to take it down. Lately, he had been overwhelmed with stress, from the fear of the imminence of the Apocalypse thanks to Deitus' release to the sudden appearance of these strange 'Beams', as Ruby had called them, the purple dragon hadn't slept well at all, and when he _did_ manage to find rest, it was haunted by nightmares.

There was no escape from this personal hell he was suffering through, and he desperately sought a way out, finding no respite waiting for him. He even considered stepping down as Alex's second-in-command, this was too much responsibility for him, especially considering that the Commander was going to be locked away for a _minimum_ of ten years. Even in the company of his family, he found no relief from stress...Cynder was becoming increasingly reclusive for reasons he did not know. She would hardly speak to him, hardly spend time with them, and often she would run off for hours at a time without telling him where she went. The purple dragon, as he juggled his responsibilities with taking care of his four children, feared that she had found another lover, and even though she consistently denied this, there was _something_ that she wasn't telling him, and he couldn't penetrate her steely defenses to find out what.

And then there was Ruby...

Along with everything else they were going through right now, Ruby's crippling depression and worry, corrupting everyone else over the mutual mind bank, was _also_ leaving its toll on him. He understood she missed Alex and worried for his safety, but at the same time, her depression was beginning to bleed over the mind bank into everybody else, further complicating matters. She would spend hours upon hours by herself, locked inside of her room and refusing to communicate with _anyone_ in the unit, and when she _did_ climb out of her abyss, she was completely disconnected with the others, hampering communication of orders and missions. With this adding to the constant fear that her suicidal tendencies would return following Alex's absence, she was becoming too great a liability and the dragon knew that it wouldn't take long before their powerful foe would catch onto this. He didn't intentionally mean any harm to her, but she was not on any sort of leash, allowed to do her own thing, and even though she kept to herself, her depression was starting to adversely affect the efficiency of her friends: including Cynder, Lucy, Aria, Dash, Rocket, and Sapphire. With so many of their numbers left largely incapacitated to act as the dolphin's personal babysitter and suicide watch group, there were some glaring vulnerabilities that were starting to appear in the close-knit unit. Deitus knew them, one of the few enemies that _truly_ understood his opponent, and it didn't take much attention to see these vulnerabilities which, if exploited, could completely unwind Alpha Company and obliterate them with minimal effort.

He didn't know what to do, and his desperate attempts to keep the unit together were backfiring on him as the unit began to lose their trust in him. What was he to do? It didn't matter what he did or tried to do to keep everyone together, they were _still_ falling to pieces, and there was absolutely _nothing_ he could do but watch helplessly and struggle in this uphill battle...he felt lost, useless.

"Get your head outta your ass, mate!" Piermont scowled, forcing the dragon to his feet, "Or you're gonna lose it!"

As they neared the Beam, the resistance from _Filios Diaboli_ and the Thralls became thicker and thicker. Slowly but surely, Alpha Company cut their way towards their destination, with Spyro pushing them harder and harder forward. When they finally reached the decimated, wartorn plaza, they found the National Guard here falling to the demons pouring out of the spinning vortex. The purple dragon took to the skies, opening his maw and spewing fire across the plaza, charring the demons to ash. After several minutes, Alpha Company managed to wear the invading demons down until they ceased to emerge from the vortex. "Excellent work!" the purple dragon exclaimed, "Now we need to find a way to close this fucking portal!"

"You stupid?" Rocket scowled, "We can't even close the ones in New Alexandria!"

Spyro glared at the raccoon, but sighed, there was no point in challenging him. Suddenly, the ground quaked and grumbled, sending everyone to the street. "What the hell was _that_!?" one of the guardsmen exclaimed.

Another quake shook the earth, and a low growl filled the air: loud, omnipresent, and booming. The light flashed and pulsed, and Spyro's heart sank, _Now what!?_ he thought to himself.

There was a sudden, scalding hot flash, a loud bang, and shockwaves emerged from the Beam, once again knocking everyone to the ground. From the glowing vortex, a thick, humanoid, furry arm, covered in thick ropes of muscle, reach out. The fur was a dark, sickly green, covered in dirt and grime. It dug its yellowed, jagged fingernails into the ground, breaking through the concrete, and a second arm poked out soon after.

"Oh _shit_..." Spyro replied, backing steadily away.

From the vortex, an apelike creature crawled out of the vortex, eyes like tiny balls of fire, it snout scarred and charred, the skin peeling away from several points on its body to expose clean, wet, pink muscle. It pulled itself onto the plaza before standing raising his head to the sky and howling ghastly into the air. Steam poured from its mouth and nose, and it snorted, baring its massive fangs, each the size of a Martaanean dragon's spine, towards the group. The monster itself was at least twenty feet tall, hunched over and dancing around like an ape.

"WHAT THE _FUCK_ IS THAT!?" Dash exclaimed.

Spyro's jaw dropped, "I...I don't know..."

The creature surged forward, charging towards them. As Alpha Company scurried away from the behemoth, it barreled into a cluster of National Guardsmen standing just behind them, slaying the group effortlessly.

"Shit..." Spyro breathed, "Everybody concentrate fire on that thing!"

"Don't think you actually needed to tell them that!" Dash spat, once more leaping into the action, flying circles around the creature's head, pestering and distracting it so the surrounding soldiers could work on taking it down unopposed. The tactic worked for awhile, but as it began to show signs of exhaustion and wear, it howled into the sky, shortly before its began to glow in a pink aura. Shortly after this, the aura detonated, and a powerful, scalding hot shock wave blew past them, incapacitating the crowd.

Spyro, once more launched towards the creature, only to be effortlessly swiped back by one of its immense paws. He slammed into the ground on his back, sliding across the asphalt street to a stop, covering his back in road burns. As his head connected with the pavement upon the initial impact, he was sent into a daze, dozens of bright-colored spots danced across his vision. As he slowly recovered from the attack, the creature, with a bellowing roar, lowered its head and charged towards the dragon. Spyro opened his maw, spewing brilliant fire towards the beast, but it didn't flinch. As it reached the dragon Spyro thrust out his paws, grabbing the beast's horns and keeping, with all of his strength, the behemoth from goring him. The portal nearby flashed again, and several small, winged, bat-like demons emerged from within, pestering the surviving soldiers. Spyro looked away as one man was torn in two by two of the demons attempting to pull him away, showering the street in blood and gore that landed with a hardy splat onto the pavement.

The behemoth's intensified its violent charging, snarling as it tried to break through and impale the dragon, all while around them, more of those imps turned their attentions towards Alpha Company, the purple dragon included. Cynder stood nearby, eyes snapping back and forth between all of the enemies against them. "Cynder!" the purple dragon exclaimed, struggling to keep the beast back, "Help me!"

The she-dragon eyes turned to face him...but she didn't move, only stood in place.

"Help me!" he gasped, "Please! I can't hold him for much longer!"

The she-dragon only stared at him, eyes wrought with sadness and hurt.

"What are you doing!?" the dragon asked, panicking, "Cynder this thing will kill me! I need help! Please help me!"

Instead, the she-dragon only continued on, taking wing and flying away to help Rapid and Jazz, pinned down across the plaza.

"Cynder..." the dragon replied, stunned and heartbroken, voice small. Just as the behemoth managed to tear through the last of his endurance and prepared to impale him, a blast of icy water doused him and the creature, with the latter being knocked aside by a powerful torrent. Stunned speechless by the sudden attack, Spyro turned to face his rescuer, spying Ruby standing firmly in place, holding herself high, even though her expression was a confused mixture of hurt, hesitation, and distrust, "Ruby..." the dragon began weakly, "Thank you..." but she said nothing, only rejoined the fight.

Finally, after taking enough hits from the surrounding Guardsmen, the behemoth, with a mighty roar, turned and fled deeper into the city. "Don't let it get away!" one of the men exclaimed, "We need to kill that thing before it can hurt anyone else!"

"How the _hell_ do you expect us to kill it!?" Cherub spat back, "We don't know what it's weak to!"

"Given the right circumstances," Jazz hissed, " _Anything_ can be killed. The challenge is finding out what it takes."

As Alpha Company chased the beast deeper into the city, thunder bellowed nearby and rain began to drizzle down from the heavens. Lightning struck the buildings around them, seemingly more frequent than normal, and something about the storm felt...odd...unnatural. "Don't let up!" someone howled, "Keep going!"

Suddenly, a massive bolt of lightning struck down in the heart of plaza, in the middle of the group, sending everyone to the ground. Following this, dozens of smaller bolts struck the buildings and power lines around until, in a sea of sparks and explosions, the entire city was wiped off the grid. An unsettling silence fell over the darkened city as rain came down harder and harder, into downpour conditions, "What the _FUCK_ just happened!?" someone asked.

"Did we get hit with a goddamn E.M.P?" someone else asked, "Optics are out!"

Somewhere in the distance, they could hear the bellowing, throat roar of the massive beast they had been pursuing. "Fucking hell!" Piermont growled, "Find and KILL that son of a bitch! _NOW_!"

Alpha Company charged ahead, with Cherub and Piermont leading the charge. Spyro hanged near the back of the group, still astonished and betrayed by Cynder's reaction, or rather lack thereof, earlier. As they continued up the street, an explosion crumbled a nearby skyscraper, filling the street with acrid dust, and Alpha Company was put on point, leading the National Guard to the site of the crash. The first two or three floors of the building still remained mostly intact, and the cries of the beast were louder now, much closer. "More of those fucking bats! Shoot them!" Aria exclaimed, and all weapons were turned on the swarming imps. Thankfully, these were fully corporeal, much like the Thralls, and were able to be harmed and killed by the Guardsmen's normal rounds. More _Filios Diaboli_ crawled out of the ground, quickly taken care of by the Terminator forces' incendiary rounds, even though the shadow-demons seemed to care very little about the militia, instead fleeing towards the building.

With another hellish roar from the unseen behemoth, the corpse of a mangled National Guardsman was thrown through one of the former skyscraper's third-story windows, landing with a dull thud onto the ground. Upon checking the corpse, they noticed that he had a deep puncture wound on his chest, somehow smoking and reeking of burnt flesh. Much of the man's skin had been melted, his eyes were empty, revealing gaping sockets, his mouth was frozen in a wide 'O', and the smoking hole on his chest was surrounded in char marks. "What the fuck?" Jazz exclaimed, "What happened to this guy?"

"Move into the building!" one of the Guardsmen exclaimed, "Now!"

Without a word of protest, the High Command, accompanied by Ruby and Sapphire, followed the chosen squad into the ruins while the remainder if the Guardsmen and Alpha Company stood guard outside. Upon bursting into the ruins, they quickly navigated the burning floors towards where the man had been thrown from the window. Occasionally they encountered some _Filios Diaboli_ resistance, although the shadow-demons seemed more interested in getting to something else than engaging the new arrivals. Upon reaching the third-story landing, they charged through the halls, finding a large group of Thralls clawing and beating at a closed door. Quickly taking them down, most of the group remained on guard while Jazz and Rapid worked together to break down the door. When they finally managed to bust it off its hinges, they charged into the room, weapons trained ahead while the rest of their squad flooded in behind them.

Standing directly before them was a tall, thin teenager, wearing medieval clothes, long brown hair down to his shoulders, and currently having impaled the behemoth through the heart with a shining, blue, crystalline sword. As he tore the blade free from the corpse, letting it fall flatly to the ground with a thud that shook the entire room, his crystal blade glowed a faint blue before diminishing, and he looked down at his kill.

"Who the fuck are you!?" Piermont growled, holding the kid at gunpoint. Instantly, the boy turned to face his visitors, blue eyes wide with shock and fear, raising his arms to the sky.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Don't shoot! Don't shoot! I'm friendly."

"Identify yourself!" Jazz hissed, " _NOW!_ "

"I'm...uh...Nicholas Swiftsword V, I'm the...uh...Power Keeper."

After several tense moments, Jazz waved for his troops to lower their weapons, and Nick released his held breath, hunching over, "Phew! That was close."

Instantly their weapons were back on him, and he tensed once more, raising his arms, "You listen here boy," Jazz began, walking over to and grabbing the kid by the scruff of the neck, "What the fuck are you doin' down here?"

He shrugged, "I dunno...just woke up here. This place is all flamey and burned up...did a dragon attack? Or maybe it was the mages of..."

"SHUT UP!" Piermont hissed, throwing the kid to the ground.

"Okay! Okay! Ow...don't need to be so...OW...rough!"

Pressing the barrel of his AK47 to the boy's throat, Piermont grunted, "Get up you son of a bitch!"

"I'm getting up! I'm getting up! Don't shoot, please?"

The dragon whacked him on the back of the head with his weapon, "Don't speak! Just get up!"

"Ow! Jeez...! What is _wrong_ with you?"

"I said _SHUT UP!_ " and prodding the back of the boy's head with his weapon, Piermont escorted him down to street level, his fire team parting to allow the two passage.

Once down on the street, Piermont knocked the boy to the ground again, who fell clumsily onto his stomach, sending his shining blue, crystal blade sliding across the wet, wartorn street. "I come in peace!" he managed, "You guys are the... _good_ guys right? I mean...you don't look like..."

"For the love of Christ will you just _SHUT UP_!?" and Jazz dazed the boy with another whack across the head with the butt of the rabbit's scoped FAL.

As Alpha Company regrouped around the boy, with the National Guardsman moving out to reclaim whatever territory was still under control of the minute enemy forces, Spyro finally stepped forward, examining the child, "Who the hell is this?"

"Found him upstairs," Jazz began, nodding towards the skyscraper behind him, "Son of a bitch took down that abomination... _by himself_."

"How did he manage to accomplish such a feat?" Tiberius asked.

"Beats me," Rapid replied.

"He used this..." Jazz kicked the sword, "Apparently."

"Never seen anything like that before..." Aria replied crouching beside the weapon and gently touching the blade.

"Hey! Don't _touch_ that!" Nicholas exclaimed, and as soon as the servine's paw made contact with the blade, a numb, electrical buzz shot through her arm, surprising her.

"What the _hell_!?"

"Aria!" Ruby exclaimed, she and Athena helping the servine up.

"What happened?" Spyro asked, nodding towards her.

"Feel like I jut got fucking electrocuted."

"Well..." Nicholas sighed in relief, "At least you're not evil. Soulreaper would have got you."

"Soulreaper?" Spyro asked, and Ruby winced at the name, "What is that?"

Nicholas gently picked himself up, holding his hands up as he walked over and reclaimed his sword, replacing it into the scabbard at his waist, "That's its name...Soulreaper."

Alpha Company exchanged awkward glances with one another before Jazz said, "Okay, that's enough," and he forced Nicholas to his feet, "You're coming with us buddy."

"Hey! Wait! What did I do? C'mon! I didn't do anything!"

"Will you just shut _up_ already? Jesus Christ!"


	26. Chapter XXV: Avione

_**Chapter XXV**_ **:**

 **-''Avione''-**

 **-Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico-**

 **- _10 February 2016_ -**

 **- _1802 Hours_ -**

Alex, supporting Terrias, trekked aimlessly through the desert, searching desperately for civilization. The temperature was dropping as night fell over the endless sands, but the Commander refused to make camp yet. Eventually, Terrias managed to convince him to rest, and reluctantly, Alex set his friend down beside a rocky crag. The servine's leg was swollen and infected, if they didn't find medical attention soon, the Commander feared it would have to be amputated. Although the Pokemon was feverish, very ill, and would likely be unable to protect himself if they were attacked, the servine placed a comforting paw on Alex's forearm, looking into his eyes with a weak smile and saying, "I'll be fine."

"I'm not leaving you alone, Terrias."

"I can take care of myself...for a little while anyway. Wish I could help you hunt and set up camp..." he shook his head, "I _can_ try to get a fire going."

Alex nodded then, reaching into the waist of his dirty, dusty prison pants and pulling out a small revolver he had looted from a guard during their prison escape, handing it to the servine, "You have five bullets if you get in trouble."

"Don't you need a weapon?"

The Commander picked up a branch that he had been using as a walking stick. The tip of it was sharpened to a point and the wood of the shaft was smoothed down, "Ain't much, but it's sharp enough to puncture an animal's hide."

"Good luck, Alex."

The Commander nodded, "Take care of yourself, brother."

Terrias nodded weakly in return, "You, too, Alex."

Firmly squeezing the servine's three-fingered paw, Alex stood up, examining his makeshift spear before mantling over the crag and disappearing on the other side. With a groan, Terrias summoned the energy to set a small campfire beneath the jutting crag, providing shelter from the elements, before finally managing to ignite it after a number of failed attempts. Feeding the flames, he collapsed onto the cold sand, curling around the fire and shivering, attempting to warm his sick body.

Even once it became too dark to see, Alex continued forward, refusing to head back until he could find something to eat. It had been several days since they had last eaten, and especially with Terrias' weakened state, they _needed_ to find something. Thankfully, they had stumbled across a few small streams and had actually followed this until it thinned out, but not before ensuring they had both stocked up on at least a day's worth of water, which they were rationing as much as they could.

Unfortunately, after several hours of wandering the freezing desert, the Commander reluctantly returned to camp, finding Terrias passed out around the fire. At first, when he noticed the servine wasn't responsive, the Commander began to panic, but upon checking his vitals, Alex found that his friend was alive, but unconscious. After ensuring that Terrias was as comfortable as he _could_ be, the Commander finally reclaimed and holstered his pistol, feeding the flames before curling against his friend, falling asleep.

A lone gemsbok wandered across the desert, grazing. It suddenly paused, its head darting up and violently looking around. Only the faint wind broke the otherwise thick, morning silence. With a snort, it resumed its activities. Suddenly, from out of nowhere with a loud whoosh of air, a spear impaled its side and the beast hit the ground, rolling around briefly before stilling, emitting its dying breaths. One black, birdlike foot pressed against the body's stomach, slicing the skin as a birdlike hand wrapped around the shaft of the spear, tearing it free from the corpse. The fiery-haired girl observed the tip of the spear, wiping it clean on the sand and calling behind her, "Get this one mounted and bled, we need probably five more before we can go back."

"Not a lot of wildlife out here, is there, Kira?"

"No shit...but maybe if you'd stop talking, we'd have more luck, huh Avery?"

"You don't need to be so mean..." the harpy sighed.

Kira, another harpy and the leader of the party, merely smirked at her friend, "These creatures will run at the first noise they hear, to be a successful predator, you better get fucking good at stalking in silence...else Avione will starve and we'll have only _you_ to blame for it."

Kira swiped aside her bright, wild, long scarlet hair, reaching down to her lower back, wiping the sweat off her dirty, light brown face, her brown eyes blinking against the blinding sunlight. Her shiny black, feathered wings were folded alongside her back, and all she wore were furs covering her small breasts and more furs across her waist, reaching down to her knees. Her hunting party of ten gathered around her, all looking in different directions for any more signs of wildlife.

"We might starve anyway," another member of her group of harpies said spitefully.

"Keep acting like that and we will, now let's keep moving!" Kira herself was of average, human height, perhaps a little taller, thin, with slight, feminine curves and faintly pronounced muscles. She had a human head, torso, arms and legs, her skin a light brown in color, and facial features reminiscent of the Choctaw tribe of Native Americans.

The hunting party paused upon a hill, Kira at the top, looking around the endless desert around them for any sign of wildlife, finding surprisingly little. The rest of her party eventually grew restless, one checked their spear, one checked the progress of bleeding their kills upon the poles they had them tied to, one was preening her brown feathers, and another, specifically Avery, was drawing runes in the sand with the blunt end of her spear.

"See a camp ahead," Kira finally said, "Maybe..half a klick to the northeast. Let's go!" and she hopped down off her perch, twirling her spear in her hand before pointing ahead with its tip.

They finally arrived at the camp an hour later, crouching across the perimeter, around the campfire, and heading to the makeshift shelter. Kira paused in the middle of the camp, holding up one avian hand to stop her group. "Avery," she whispered, "You check it out."

"Why me?"

"Stop bitching and do it!" and one of the party handed a blow dart tool to the reluctant girl, sighing as she grabbed it, loading one of the darts, poisoned with a natural tranquilizer, into the weapon, "If there's anything alive in there, knock it out so it doesn't come after us...we're gonna see if we can find any useful tools around here."

Several minutes later, Avery called out to the rest of the group from inside the shelter, "Looks like a pair of lovers from the city came out here...a human and a lizard...they look so cute all tangled up together like that."

Kira stiffened at the mention of her discovery, snarling and turning to face the shelter.

"Wait...nevermind," Avery replied with a nervous laugh, "They're both males...and they are...quite endowed..."

"Damn it, Avery! Get your head out of the fucking gutter and get your ass out here! We're here to look for food, not a fucking mate!"

"It's not like I can do anything with them anyway...I think they're mates already."

"Well bind them up...we'll eat the lizard...not sure what to do about the human."

"Okay...but can I use him first?"

"No!" Kira scowled, disgusted, "Nobody wants your taste all over it!"

"You can have the human..." Avery giggled.

"Fuck you," Kira scowled, "Now get off your ass and let's go already! We're starving out here!"

With a pout, Avery returned to the rest of her clan. The younger harpy, Kira's best friend since they were hatchlings, had a much smaller frame than her companion. Her almost obsessively straightened hair was a dark brown, more well kept and shorter than Kira's. Unlike the latter's stern, cynical, experienced and stoney expression, Avery's was one of submission and shyness, her doe-eyes displayed her very childlike naïvety, and her feathers were a soft, faded brown, fringed in cream. Kira crept into the camp, disappearing in the niche where Alex and Terrias were both asleep against the bonfire, now smoldering embers. Both of them were shot with the tranquilizers before they were tied up, lifted out of the cave, and carried into the sunlit desert.

 _Ruby, my love, forgive me...for I have failed you._

Alex groaned as he slowly came to, awakening from his somewhat pleasant dream concerning his delphinic mate. His body was sore, stiff, and his mind was muddled, sedated, he looked around, taking several seconds to register what was going on. Upon realizing that he was tied upside down and hanging from a pole, he began to panic, and voice slurring, he asked, "What's going on!?"

Instantly, the creatures that had captured him were on alert, terrified and backing away, almost dropping him in the process. "HEY!" a powerful, female voice boomed, "Stop being so fucking spineless you idiots! He's just a stupid human, he can't hurt anyone!"

"Who the hell..." Alex groaned, blinking away the light. He was surrounded by several creatures, appearing to be a sort of hybrid between a human woman and a bird. Still disoriented from the blood rushing to his head, finding it difficult to breathe, Alex struggled against his restraints upon spying a still-unconscious Terrias hanging from a similar pole beside him.

"I didn't say you could talk, stupid human!" he was aware of a powerful, painful strike against his back, and he cried out against the sudden attack, struggling to face his assailant. A tall, fiery-haired birdwoman, with shining, black feathers and a fierce expression displaying the obvious hatred and disgust of her captive, stood beside him, wielding a beautifully crafted, homemade spear.

"Who the fuck are you?" Alex asked, voice and head clearing as the sedatives wore off.

"None of your fuckin' business," she snapped back, "Stop talking!" and she waved forward with her spear, "Keep moving!"

As they continued ahead into the desert, heading to somewhere unknown, Terrias slowly stirred from his own unconsciousness, turning to face Alex and asking, "What's...what's going on? Where are we?"

"I don't even know..." Alex replied, "We've been captured by these feathery crossbreeds."

"Great..." Terrias groaned, "Harpies...I thought these things didn't exist?"

"With the recent appearance of everything else we've been fighting lately...I'm about willing to believe _anything_."

"Fuck me..." the servine sighed, and they could hear one of the harpies giggle.

"Shut up, Avery!" the red-haired girl scowled, not even looking back.

"C'mon, Kira..." one of the harpies, most likely the one called 'Avery', replied, "You gotta admit, the lizard is kinda cute."

"I'll be sure to tell Elder Amery that you're thinking lustfully of our supper."

"No! Please don't, Kira!"

"Then shut up! I don't wanna hear another word about it, understand?"

Defeated, Avery replied with a sigh, "Yes, Kira..."

"Wait, wait, _what_!?" Alex exclaimed, " _Supper_!? We're not food!"

"We are now," Terrias smirked.

"We don't know what we're gonna do with you yet, idiot," Kira replied, "As for the lizard? He'll make a nice meal."

Terrias' smile vanished instantly, "Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined dying as food for a tribe of harpies...if there is a God, I fuckin' hope that He makes the infection kill me before these barbarians do." 

"Fuck you," Kira replied.

"God help us..." Alex sighed.

"Pretty sure God is laughing His immortal ass off right now," Terrias replied coldly.

"Enough fucking chatter or I'll rip out your throats _now_!" Kira hissed, glaring at the duo, "Actually," she waved them off, "How about one of you dumbasses tranq 'em up again."

"Sedatives this close to supper will only taint the meat," one of her hunting party spoke up, "Best bet is to just ignore them...or kill them now."

"No," Kira replied with a cocky smirk, "The meat is better when it's fresh."

"But we always kill when we find..." Avery began to protest, shortly before she was interrupted after being elbowed by another one of the harpies, who only shook her head.

"Dear God, why...?" Terrias frowned.

"Kinky..." Alex whispered, managing a sly grin, and Terrias only shook his head with a sigh. His smile didn't last long, however, as another, unseen member of Kira's hunting party delivered another dazing blow to the back of Alex's head, sending him dangerously close to the edge of consciousness. After another hour of walking, the Commander was startled awake by Avery, who then returned to Kira's side. They had stopped moving, the harpies were standing before the side of a desert mountain in silence.

"What the hell is going on _now_?" the Commander scowled,but he remained ignored.

Kira suddenly placed one of her avian hands against the side of the mountain, and with a low grumble, the wall parted in two, revealing a long, dark, cool passage leading inside that reeked of a birdcage, "Well?" the harpy, "What the hell are you all waiting for? Let's go!"

As they disappeared inside, Terrias muttered, "You know...after careful consideration, I've got a really bad feeling about all of this."

After several minutes, the snaking, naturally eroded tunnels gave way to a large, open, circular chamber. From this central area, three stories extended upwards into the mountain, each lined with arch-shaped holes carved into the rock, which each seemed to be another tunnel leading even deeper into the mountain's heart. Above, luminescent crystals, lining the ceiling, glowed a bright yellow, almost as warm and inviting as sunlight.

"Elder Amery!" Avery called into the open chamber, "We're back!"

Within seconds, several harpies had emerged from the tunnels, surrounding the group. At their head was an aging woman, her black feathers faded to a light gray. Her hair was short, silver, and tied into a bun behind her head, her nose was crooked and pointed, her eyes were a beady black, her weathered face was very Native American in appearance, and her expression, although harsh, was friendly, warm, and inviting. Upon falling upon the sight of Alex, her eyes widened, "Well..." she began in a strong but soft voice, "I haven't seen a human for many years...have you at last found a mate, Kira?"

The harpy girl did not take this kindly, "Hell no!" but her voice softened, becoming more submissive and respectful, "I brought them to request your blessing in a sacrifice."

" _What!?_ " Alex exclaimed.

"A sacrifice? Whatever for?"

"To avenge the murder of my sister and put her spirit at ease."

The elderly harpy, who Alex could only figure was 'Amery', closed her eyes and smiled peacefully, "My dear girl, her spirit has long since crossed over. We don't need more violence."

Kira scowled, less than pleased with this response, but otherwise said nothing, only lowered her head in submission.

"Now," Amery continued, "What of the lizard?"

"Kira says he's going to be our supper..." Avery frowned, "I think she's tormenting me by keeping him alive though."

"Avery won't shut up about her attraction to it," Kira hissed.

"He's not an it! He's a he!" Avery protested.

"Who cares!?"

"Girls, please settle down," Amery replied calmly, turning to face the two prisoners, "The lizard needs medical attention, and both are malnourished and dehydrated. They need food and water."

"Wait...we're keeping them _alive_!? What the hell!?" Kira snapped.

Amery was still staring towards Alex, as if trying to solve some kind of puzzle. Weary about what was on her mind, the Commander tried to gather the courage to confront her, deciding against it out of fear that it would turn the whole tribe against him. As he looked away, however, his eyes happened upon a faded, well-weathered statue sitting nearby, surrounded by candles, depicting a winged human clad in a _very_ familiar set of armor. He was leaning against large sword planted into the ground in front of him, with two smaller, oddly designed blades at his waist. "Is that...Archangel Messoremel?" Alex suddenly asked on impulse, eyes wide.

Amery smiled, "So...you know of the Archreaper and his true name?"

"Well...uh..." he chuckled nervously, "This will sound kinda weird and unbelievable but...apparently I'm his reincarnation."

The other harpies cawed in surprise before immediately going on the defensive, with Kira, snarling towards him, exclaiming, "Bullshit you are! Where's your proof?"

"Such a declaration, if unproven, can lead to execution," Amery continued, still calm and serene.

"How the hell can I prove it then?" and an idea suddenly came to mind, _Necro! I hope you're awake, mate! I_ really _need you!_

 _Ah, my friend, you have escaped from the prison?_

 _HELP ME!_

Suddenly, in a flash of light, Necrodusk had captured and transformed the Commander, turning him into an emaciated, corpse-like bastardization of the formerly glorious form of Archangel Messorem. The harpies all fell back in horror, even Kira's jaw had dropped, the female having backed against a wall. Only Amery remained in place, completely unfazed by Alex's new, hellish appearance. The possessed Commander chuckled, looking around the room before saying, "So...it seems that Kalmiyah's pregnancy was productive..." he looked around the room with a wide, toothy grin, "I recognize many of your souls...including the one of that silly, naïve little girl. It has been a long time, old friend."

This statement finally drove Amery to fall back, and she said, "Messorem...it _is_ you..."

"Indeed it is..." Necrodusk chuckled, "Or rather, a piece of the great reaper."

"So the old stories _are_ true..." Kira frowned unhappily.

"I do hope you're not intending to bring any harm to my host," the demon continued, "That would be _most_ unfortunate."

"And the lizard?" Amery asked, "Is he one of the _Old Regime_ , too?"

"He is the Legate Raziel," Necrodusk continued, "Old, human friend of ours during the Great War."

Without another word, the ascended archdemon returned control to his host, rapidly retreating into his corner and leaving Alex, dazed, dangling limply from the pole upon which he was tied. "So...the prophecy is true..." Amery frowned, "We are nearing the Earth's last breaths. Our worst fears have been realized, and the beams are breaking."

"Not just that," Alex managed, "But Archdemon Deitus? Yeah...he's running free right now."

The general tone of the harpies in the den sank gloomily, and Amery continued, "If that damned child is loose, it will only mean bad tidings...can you fight?"

"Yeah, but we're kinda on the run..." Terrias replied, "Bad things happened and the world wants us dead."

Amery nodded soberly, "That is well enough...my niece, Kira, will train you two."

Wait, _WHAT!?_ " Kira snapped, "I'm not training those idiots! They can teach themselves!"

"Kira, you are our best fighter, if anyone can teach them how to fight the forces of Deitus, it is you."

"This is bullshit!"

"Oh trust me," Alex snarled, "I'm about as thrilled about this as you are. You really think I'm that eager to be trained by some selfish, bitchy little girl?"

"Oh fuck you," she hissed, "You will learn to respect me or I will beat you into a bloody _fucking_ pulp!"

Amery waved towards the rest of Kira's party, "Cut them down, if you will, ensure they are well fed, well hydrated, well rested, and in good health. Their training will begin tomorrow."

"Why me?" Kira protested, "Why do _I_ have to train them!? I have more important things to do than to take care of these arrogant pricks! Reincarnation of the Archreaper or not, I don't care!"

"Kira," Amery began firmly, "You will take train them, and you _will_ ensure they are ready to take on the Lifehunter when the time is right..." and without another word, the old harpy returned to her cave, on the ground floor. After being cut down by her party, Kira scowled towards her new _prot_ _é_ _g_ _é_ _s_ , not happy at all about her task.

"You listen here you stupid fucks! _I_ go at my _own_ pace! If you can't keep up, I will _not_ be afraid to kill you!"

Alex chuckled, "Don't think your aunt will be very pleased about that."

"Don't be so cocky and sure of yourself," the girl hissed, "I have ways of getting away with it! You either keep up with me, or you die!" she stormed off towards an odd, rune-covered, stone door etched into the wall at the far end of the chamber, "I hope you're ready for hell!" before she vanished into the cave where Amery had gone.

Alex and Terrias exchanged glances as the rest of Kira's hunting party helped them to their feet, tending to their wounds. Avery crouched beside Terrias, smiling shyly, "Are you okay?"

"What the hell do you want from me?" the servine frowned, "What the hell do you want from _us_?"

"Don't mind her," she sighed, "She can just be a little mean sometimes."

Alex snorted, "A _little_?"

"Well..." Avery blushed, "Welcome to Avione, the home of the Avione tribe, descended from Archangel Messorem and Matriarch Avias long ago."

"That Kira chick seems to have it out for me...did we do something to piss her off or..."

Avery sighed, "Well, it's rather difficult to explain, and I don't think Kira would be very happy if I did...she just has had some bad experiences with some really mean humans. Don't take what she says personally, she just doesn't trust people she doesn't know, _especially_ humans."

"But to take it out on me? What the fuck is that all about?"

"She can be really nice...she's just unhappy, that's all, and she takes it out on everybody else."

"Has she _always_ been like this?"

Avery shook her head, frowning, "No...she didn't _always_ use to be this way. She used to be very nice and friendly, but that was a long time ago."

"Great..."

"But not _all_ of us are that way," the girl reassured, "Elder Amery is very nice, I'm very nice, too, and so are many, many of the others. The Matriarch is probably the nicest one though, even if she doesn't see many people anymore, and hasn't since her daughter was murdered by a human she fell in love with a long time ago."

"I hope they don't think that _all_ humans are evil or cruel."

"They don't," Avery reassured, "We all know, even the Matriarch, that there are more nice humans out there than mean ones...that's why Elder Amery chose to spare you, I think. She can see the true intentions of people's hearts, and I think she could tell you were one of the nice ones," the birdgirl smiled.

"Thank you for sticking up for us," Alex replied.

"Kira is very quick to judge, but give her some time and she might soften up a little bit. She just doesn't trust who she doesn't know...she's been hurt by a lot of people she cared about."

Alex chuckled sadly, "Ah...something that I, unfortunately, know all too well."

That night, after they had finished eating, they were led to the room where they would be staying, finding Kira already there, meditating. Upon opening her eyes and spying her two new roommates, she scoffed, "Are you fucking serious? First I have to waste _my_ time training you two morons and now we have to share a goddamn room together? This is ridiculous!"

"Settle down, my dear," Amery stated, handing her a small, handmade cup of tea.

"This is bullshit! I didn't want _any_ of this crap!"

"You brought them here," Amery began, still as cool as ever, "It's only fair that you are hospitable for them."

"I didn't think they were going to stay!" the red-haired harpy scowled, "I was gonna kill them!"

"You should be honored," Amery continued, "After all, you are caring for two reincarnations of the Old Regime, including our ancestor, the Archreaper himself."

"I don't care! They're invading on _my_ privacy!"

"Don't be disrespectful, dear."

Fuming, Kira fell silent, finding no point in protesting, even though she was _far_ from resigning to her assigned fate.

"Besides, if Messorem is here and the prophecy continues to hold true...he is here to reclaim Avias for the restoration of the Old Regime."

Kira shook her head, "Yeah? Well he better figure it out quickly, cause I'm already tired of seeing their fucking faces wandering around," and the girl stormed off, leaving Alex and Terrias in the room alone with the elderly birdwoman.

"Charming girl," Alex chuckled, sipping at his own tea.

Amery sighed, "I do apologize for her...behavior...she can be quite rude. I only hope it gets better once she gets to know you two."

The Commander shrugged, "I'm used to it by now...when you've put up with as much shit as we have, you tend to grow accustom to the abuse. Hopefully we won't stay here long."

Amery bowed her head, "It really is an honor to see prophecy be fulfilled before our very own eyes...to think that Messoremel himself has returned to his people in _my_ lifetime warms my old heart. Kira really doesn't realize what an honor she has."

"So you guys worship Messorem?" Terrias asked.

The old woman nodded, "We worship many of nature's gods...Messoremel is just one of them. Even if he isn't the chief deity, we are more attached to him, likely because we are from his seed."

"So Messorem created an entire species?" Alex asked, "I thought angels couldn't do that?"

"The story is that he captured a young human woman, whom we call Avias or 'the featherless one', during one of his many war conquests. He thus impregnated her with the first of the Avione tribe, which all of us are the direct descendants of."

"So like Adam and Eve then, huh?" Alex asked, but when Amery appeared confused, he quickly explained the Biblical story of the Garden of Eden.

"Of sorts," Amery responded after, "Yes."

"So..." Terrias began, massaging his splinted leg, "After so many isolated generations, surprised you're not suffering from any health issues due to inbreeding."

"We began to many years ago," the woman replied, "That was when we started courting certain humans and bringing them to join our tribe. We are capable of reproducing with them."

"Don't see any humans," Terrias replied.

"Most of them are dead...ordered to be executed by the Matriarch after her daughter was murdered by the one she loved. After that, when our race began to die out once again, some brothers courted sisters, some fathers courted daughters, anything we could do to keep our race alive. Most of us, myself included, simply accepted our fate and chose to die with no heirs. We are a race that was not supposed to continue its existence, we were an accidental creation by a careless soldier and a sex-starved slave...with all due respect to our ancestors."

"And Kira?" Alex asked.

"She is a product of two cousins."

"Might contribute to her temper," Terrias chuckled.

"Her rage is a result of a grave incident in her youth where someone very dear to her was slain by a human. Since then, she has been this way...I only pray that she finds peace in her heart soon."

"So your tribe is very family oriented?" Alex asked.

Amery nodded, "Yes, indeed. We are a people rich in history, tradition, and faith. Unlike other cultures who were exposed to corruption and different ideals, we have remained strong and incorruptible for many, many generations."

"How?"

"Our isolation from outside influence has contributed to this. We had only recently opened ourselves up to the world within a few generations when the Matriarch's daughter was murdered. Since then, we have closed ourselves off from the outside world once again."

"Doesn't it get kinda lonely? There's not that many of you," Terrias said.

Amery shrugged, "With time, we have learned to grow used to it..." then, "You should rest now, tomorrow you shall begin your training," and with this, she left the room, leaving Alex and Terrias alone.


	27. Chapter XXVI: Burnout

_**Chapter XXVI**_ **:**

 **-''Burnout''-**

 **-New Alexandria, Montana-**

 **- _18 February 2016_ -**

 **- _0712 Hours_ -**

Ruby awoke to a soft but firm knock on her bedroom door. She climbed out of bed, walking over to the door to greet her visitor. Spyro stood outside, hanging his head low. The dolphin said nothing, only remained standing in place, expecting a fight. Instead, the dragon asked her, "Why did you save my life back in Seattle?"

Reluctantly, the dolphin replied, "You're my brother, we're supposed to look out for each other."

"Despite the fact that I've treated you like absolute shit?"

She shrugged, "My entire life has been absolute shit, Alex is the only one who's really been my shining beacon of hope. I'm used to it by now."

"So what keeps you going then? Or are you some kind of crazy, sadomasochistic bitch?"

"Alex," she replied firmly, "He keeps me alive, he gives me a purpose to _stay_ alive."

"Why him?"

"Because I love him."

"But...why? What's so damn special about the guy that you're willing to give everything for him? It's not that he treats you like a goddess, he's not monogamous, and all I've seen between you two is that you're a living sex toy to him."

"Then you obviously don't know him personally," the dolphin replied bitterly, in a tone that was so rarely used that it startled even the purple dragon, "When someone steals his heart, there's nothing he wouldn't do for them. Of course, you wouldn't know, would you? Now, I'm asking you to leave, I'm done talking," and she laid back down, turning on low music.

Ruby was the last one to enter the living room following Spyro's summons a few hours later. The rest of Alpha Company had already gathered around before the High Command, talking among themselves. Upon spying the dolphin, Lucy made her way over to her, asking if she was okay. "I'm fine," Ruby nodded, managing a weak smile.

"Are you sure?" the gargoyle asked, "You seem upset about something."

"I'm fine," the dolphin chuckled, "Really, I am."

"So, any word on Alex and Terrias' location?" Aria suddenly asked, "Or are the police still looking for them?"

"Last I checked," Spyro began, "Police are still searching for them."

"Are we _sure_ that they were able to do all that shit in an elaborate break out plan?" Cynder asked, "I mean, we made sure they were as demutated as we could safely manage before we dropped them off. To stage something like this, and do as much damage as they did...I'm pretty sure it would have killed them."

"Well," Spyro replied bitterly, "Alex and Terrias are M.I.A, there were only two other survivors of the incident and neither of them know where they ran off to. But _both_ of the survivors admitted that the plan _was_ Alex and Terrias' to begin with. Who knows _how_ they did it, all we know is that they _did_."

"One would think that they would come back home to us," Sapphire sighed.

Spyro smirked, "No they wouldn't. Cause they _know_ that even _we_ won't allow them to get away with something as illegal as this. They're probably hiding somewhere."

"Surprised Alex, at least, wouldn't think that we'd let him get away with this, giving our nonchalant attitude towards his bestiality."

"Nonchalant?" Rocket chuckled, "Shit, isn't that what put him in prison to _begin_ with?"

"Yeah, but that wasn't _our_ fault. His past came back and bit him in the ass, this was Fate, this wasn't us. Anyway, that's not why I brought all of you guys over here."

"Then why _did_ you?"

"If you'd shut up, Rocket, I'd tell you," Spyro snarled, "Anyway, we've had several more beams pop up across the world lately. Heinrich is sending _us_ down to check out a beam that recently opened up on Martaan...expect the same shit as before."

Eli nodded towards him, "Should we take along that kid we found in Seattle?"

"Who?"

"That Nicholas kid."

Spyro frowned, "Heinrich still hasn't got anything from the interrogations. Kid's a bit of a self-entitled dick apparently...thinks he's better than everyone else and refuses to help us, despite the torture."

"He single-handedly killed that beast when we couldn't...he might be the only one capable of doing so."

"Then we'll grab his sword, but I'm _not_ gonna risk letting him roam free."

"Are we sure it'll work without him?"

"It's a sword," Spyro growled, "It's not some kind of biometric rifle bullshit."

"Has anyone even bothered to talk to him nicely?" Rocket asked, "I mean, if someone was a complete dick to me, I wouldn't chat with 'em either."

"He's a prisoner of war," Spyro growled, "The enemy."

"Are we so sure about that? Have you actually _talked_ to him to see his alignment?"

"He killed that giant fuckin' behemoth," Eli began, arms crossed at his chest, leaning against the wall, "Obviously he's not on _their_ side. Worst comes to worse, the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"Still seems like a bad idea...I don't trust the kid."

"You don't trust _anybody_ ," Cynder growled, "You're becoming more and more like Pierre every fucking day."

The Martaanean dragon, maintaining his eerie silence, only glared at her, saying nothing.

"Maybe because I've seen the _worst_ in people!?" he snarled, "I was naïve, I didn't think people could be as cruel and merciless as they were. Now I've seen the truth, now I know how people _really_ are, so yes, I don't trust anybody. Because _EVERYBODY_ has some dirty little secret they're hiding, _NOBODY_ is completely honest and true."

"Really?" Cynder spat, "Is that _really_ how things are? Or is that just because you're a self-centered prick?" and the she-dragon stormed away, "I'm tired of all of this bullshit, I'm tired of the abuse against Ruby, and I'm tired of the abuse against _me_. So you can kindly _fuck_ off, I'm done!"

"So this is how it ends, huh?" he called after her, "It's not _my_ fault that you all would let that stupid dolphin stay after all the shit she's done to us. We're only as strong as our weakest soldier..." he snarled towards the dolphin, "And it's a miracle she's still alive as it is."

"Cynder?" Ruby asked, gently approaching the cracked open door to the bedroom the she-dragon shared with her mate, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," the dragon replied bitterly from the other side, and Ruby gently pushed open the door, wandering into the room, smelling richly of incense. Cynder herself was laying sprawled out on the bed, staring longingly towards an old photograph of her and Spyro, taken shortly after they joined the Terminator Militia many years earlier.

"About what happened..."

"I don't want to talk about it, Ruby..." Cynder sighed, "Please."

Silence fell between them for several moments, with the dolphin turning to leave.

"How are you holding up?" the she-dragon suddenly asked.

Ruby perked up, turning to face the dragon again, "What do you mean?"

"I mean without Alex...this must be hard on you."

Ruby shrugged, "I'm...numb. Which I guess is better than being depressed...been dreaming a lot about him though."

"Happy dreams?"

She nodded, "Yeah..." she frowned, looking away unhappily, "I miss him...I wish that he would at least tell me he's doing okay...but I haven't heard anything from him, and although I know he's alive, his presence is so weak with his minimal mutations that it's like his signal is like a giant cloud spread out across the entire world."

"I think he's scared."

"But why?"

"Because I don't believe he orchestrated the breakout, he was resigned to his fate when we sent him off, and that was legitimate. I scoured his mind the night we spent with him, and his feelings were legitimate. I think there's something else going on here that we don't realize. I can't help but feel that he's only on the lam because something happened and he _knew_ he would get blamed for it."

"What do you think happened then?"

"That's just it...I don't know, and I don't think we will _ever_ know, but I'd love to hear his side of the story. There's more here than meets the eye, I can feel it."

"Why wouldn't he tell _me_ at least...I thought he loved and trusted me."

"He does, Ruby," the dragon replied, smiling weakly, "He really does, more than you realize, trust me. He's not hiding from us because he doesn't trust us, he's hiding from us because he's afraid of who could be watching. The way Alpha Company is, with this big fucking division...he probably didn't want to take the risk of someone ratting him out, and he probably suspects that you and I and Dash will be monitored by the likes of Spyro and Piermont _because_ of our allegiance to him, and our trust of you."

"So once more, I'm at the center of it all..." Ruby sighed.

"Unfortunately," Cynder replied, "There's no way I can beat around the bush there. I don't understand it."

"I only wish I could."

"Don't beat yourself up over this, it's not your fault."

"It sure feels that way...please tell me something."

"Anything."

"Why? Why am I so hated around here? What did I do to hurt anyone? Everybody acts like I'm some kind of monster...like I'm a spy or a traitor. Did I do something wrong?"

"I think...they're jealous."

"Jealous of what?"

"Well...Alex really cares about you, more than he does anyone else here. They know that if the shit hit the fan, and he could only save _one_ person...it would be you."

"Why does that make me so hated?"

"Because he trusts and loves you more than anyone here, even people that have risked their lives for him for many, many years. He's pushed back everyone else, even the senior members, giving you the highest priority, and that's because he loves you. I don't blame him, I'd do the same thing, but they don't like it. Especially Piermont."

"I can understand why Piermont wouldn't...with the whole dragon/rider bond thing...but what about Spyro?"

"Alex and Spyro's relationship is...complicated. There's a lot of..." Cynder sighed, trying to find the words to explain it, "There's a lot of...tension and unresolved emotion between them. It's not like they _love_ or lust after each other or anything, there's just...I don't know. Spyro is probably going after you because he feels betrayed that you have been given priority over him, when before he held the most priority second only to Piermont, given his status as Alex's second-in-command and closest confidant. They've also grown apart over the years as differing ideals and methods of command have evolved between them. They are opposites of one another, really. Spyro believes he deserves more appreciation than he gets because of his loyalty and his consistent provision of evidence that he's capable of matching Alex's leadership. In actuality, the way Alex views interpersonal relationships within Alpha Company isn't based on proof of loyalty or seniority as much as who he gets along with, who he connects to. That's why he and Terrias are so close, they're two peas from the same pod...that's why you two get along so well, and also why he and I get along...we all have similar ways of looking at things, similar origins, and the four of us have more in common with our pasts and each other than the other members here. Plus we all have similar veins of thinking, something which Spyro doesn't share."

"What about Dash? Why are they so close?"

Cynder shrugged, "Probably because of her independence and toughness. That little pony can _really_ hold her own in a fight, she kicks ass and takes names while hardly trying...Alex admires the hell out of her. Plus, like I said, she has the same way of thinking that Alex, you, Terrias, and I have."

"Another thing I want to know."

"What?"

"Why has the High Command been so secretive lately? Is something going on that they don't want anyone else to know? Alex _never_ withheld information from everyone else...and not to sound prideful or anything, but he always told me everything, too."

Cynder sighed, "Once more, that's the difference in Spyro's and Alex's leadership. Spyro tries to be more like Elliot, more of a 'by-the-books' kind of commander, whereas Alex is...well...Alex. That's also partly why Spyro seems to be so envious of you...even though you aren't High Command, and you didn't have to go through the same obstacles that _we_ did to earn your way into Alex's inner circle, he still _treats_ you like High Command. Spyro doesn't really take kindly to that since he...well, we _all_...busted our asses to get to that status," Cynder grinned sadly, and in an attempted joking manner, "And then you come along and Alex elects you as honorary High Command just because you gave him some great sex. Anyway, I know that I'm not really helping you much. I just want to say not to take my mate seriously. He's a little sour that you got to take shortcuts that he wasn't allowed to use, that's all."

"And Piermont?"

"Piermont has...changed greatly since the Reapers got Alex last year...I'm sure I'm not the only one that's noticed that."

"What happened to him you think? He doesn't talk or do anything anymore...half the time he just closes himself off in his room."

Cynder frowned, "Honestly, I don't know. I can't help but think that the sudden severance of telepathic connection to Alex messed him up somewhere...you know that most dragons either go crazy from grief or commit suicide once they lose complete contact with their rider, something that _normally_ only happens in death. Even though Alex wasn't killed, the fact that the Reapers managed to completely sever his connection to us sort of _simulated_ the effect, a red herring if you will. Because that happened, Piermont went through the pain of losing his bonded rider, even if he didn't actually lose him."

"But Alex is alive!"

"Yes, but I'm afraid the damage is already done. Quite frankly, I'm worried about what can happen, Piermont is a ticking time bomb now, the slightest thing can and _will_ set him off, it's just a matter of what will end up finally breaking the last strand of sanity he maintains. I know this because you can see that mad light in his eyes...that homicidal glimmer...in the way he looks at the world."

"And what will happen when that time comes?"

"I don't know," Cynder replied, "I've never really seen the effect the loss of a rider has on a dragon in close scrutiny...especially since our mutations kinda fuck up things a bit. Piermont's imminent collapse into insanity will be a _very_ different experience than a normal incident where the dragon loses his rider."

"If Piermont _does_ go crazy...since I doubt he'll commit suicide...what will we end up doing?"

"The only thing we _can_ do..." Cynder replied darkly, "Put him out of his misery."

"What will that do to Alex?"

"I don't know...but if a rider loses their dragon, it emotionally and psychologically cripples them. Most riders who lose their dragons are put into a semi-catatonic state following the event...Alex is stronger than most riders—physically, mentally, _and_ emotionally—and once more, our mutations make things much more unpredictable, so nobody really knows _what_ will happen. I don't imagine his relationship with you will change much, if that's what you're worried about."

"No...I only worry what will happen to him. Alex has been a little different since Zack died. He's had worse nightmares, has had less sleep, and sometimes I _swear_ he's talking to himself."

"Well...you got to remember that Alex has been a soldier ever since he was a little boy. The amount of emotional trauma he's been dealt is staggering. The things he's done, the things he's gone through is enough to break even the most hardened of veterans, and Alex has managed to get away with little damage done," Cynder shrugged, "Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if all of that is starting to catch up to him. The P.T.S.D he got from Mabao's nuking of Phoenix really escalated things, might have damaged the wall he somehow managed to put up between him and the various traumas he's experienced in his life, then finding out that Zack—his hero and idol mind you—was still alive before having to put _him_ into the ground personally may have finally broken through and started the decay of his psyche."

"Do you think he'll go crazy like Zack did?"

Cynder frowned, "Honestly...I don't know. Alex has changed, we _all_ have, and the fact that he's just experiencing more and more traumatic events...it's only a matter of time before that all catches up to him. Right now, he's young, strong, and resilient...but as you age, all that begins to decay anyway. So even if he'll truck it out right now, when he gets older...hard telling what _will_ end up happening. Plus, we have _no_ idea what long-term exposure to the mutation serum will do anyway. It's only recently that we discovered that the longer you have your mutations, the more reliant your body becomes on it to the point that if you are _completely_ stripped of your mutations, your body will be unable to handle its absence. I'm sure you remember when we almost killed Alex after forcing him to quit cold turkey from the serum."

"Unfortunately, I remember that all too well..." and the dolphin unconsciously flexed her fin, scarred where the Commander had injured her several years earlier.

"Anyway, I guess all that I'm saying is...don't take what Spyro or Piermont say to heart. You are loved, and even if it doesn't seem like it, you have more friends than enemies."

"I just wish that people would actually stand up for me, you know? I understand that most of Alpha Company likes me, that Spyro and Piermont represent a _very_ vocal minority...but at the same time, with the constant abuse and no support from my friends..." Ruby shrugged, believing that she had gotten her point across.

Cynder nodded, hugging the dolphin, "I understand where you're coming from...and I'm honestly trying. I just...have some other personal things that have been keeping me distracted recently."

"Spyro's been hurting you..."

Cynder looked away, ashamed, "I more-or-less deserve it, I haven't really been an angel...hell, I'm lucky he didn't mind me cheating on him with Alex."

"So what will happen now? Are you two finally done with each other?"

"I don't know, Ruby...I'm still trying to figure that out myself. Hoping that, once he realizes just how much of an ass he's been, he'll chill out and come back begging for forgiveness and a second chance."

"You think he'll get better? Or will he fall back into the cycle of abuse?"

"I choose to believe he'll improve...but honestly, we'll see. If he relapses, I won't put up with that shit," she snickered, "I'll spend the rest of my life in a nunnery under an oath of chastity before I let him continue bullying me. Anyway, before we head out to Martaan, I'm going to have a chat with this Nick character, see what's going on."

"But Spyro said..."

"Fuck him," Cynder scoffed, "I'm willing to give the kid a chance...I mean, he killed that hulk, so he's obviously not our enemy. We may have a powerful ally, so I'm gonna give the kid a chance...or at least ask him a few questions."

"I thought we already tried and got nowhere?"

"Torture isn't always the answer, Ruby. I mean, I'm more apt to talk if someone asks me nicely over holding a knife to my throat, aren't you?"

The dolphin shrugged after several seconds of thought.

"See?"

"I'll come with you then, curious to know more about the kid and that sword..." Ruby shook her head, eyes distant, "I don't know, but that sword seems familiar...like I've seen it somewhere."

"Awesome, let's go then before Spyro decides to declare that we're abandoning our posts. Don't trust Heinrich as it is, last thing I need is to give the sleazy son of a bitch an excuse to court-martial us...or worse."

"Right behind you."

Nicholas Swiftsword sat in the interrogation room, chained to a desk, blinding light shining into his face. He bled from several wounds deal to him by General Heinrich in the interrogations, but still he refused to say anything, finding it difficult to keep his anger under control. When the door to the room opened and the next round of interrogators entered the room, Nick only spit in their direction, "I told you already, I'm not gonna talk if you're gonna be a jerk to me. Bastards."

"We're not here to fight," a feminine voice spoke from the darkness, and Nick squinted against the light shining into his eyes to see a small, black female dragon approach him. Her ruby red belly scales glowed in the dismal light, as did her emerald/sapphire eyes. Standing beside her was a tall, fish-like creature, somehow supported upright by her tail.

"Oh...I know you two," he chuckled, "You guys are assholes for taking me captive...guys are kinda rude, don't you think? Is this how you _always_ treat strangers?"

"Please," the dolphin replied in a small voice, "We don't want to hurt you."

"Yeah? Bit too late for that don't you think? Give me a reason why I should talk to _you_ , huh?"

"Who are you?" Cynder asked.

He chuckled again, "Nicholas Swiftsword, and before you ask, no, I don't know why I'm here. Sometimes I just wake up in random place, I've learned to stop questioning it."

"That sword..." Ruby replied, "What did you call it?"

"It's name is _Soulreaper_ ," he replied, "The blade of the Power Keeper."

"Do you by chance know of Messorem?" the dolphin queried.

"Messorem?" Nick fell silent for a few moments, "Sounds familiar...why?"

"I think that blade is connected to him."

"I'm not giving it away," he scowled.

Cynder then surprised them both by walking over to the table and breaking the cuffs binding Nick to the table, "I'm not asking you to," she replied, stepping back to stand beside Ruby, "I'm asking for your help."

"And why should I help you?"

"Because you're the only one who can kill those monsters...maybe you can figure out why you're here as well."

He pondered this offer for several moments before nodding, "All right, you have a deal."

"One more thing..." Ruby suddenly spoke up.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"There's some kind of power radiating off of you...I can feel it...can you help me find my mate?"

"Maybe..." he replied, "But...eh...did you check the nearest ocean? I can't really tell the difference between all of you..."

"He's...not a dolphin," Ruby replied, looking away, blushing.

"What?"

"He's a human," Cynder replied, "His name is Alex...Alex Vaughn...he's a very good friend of ours."

Nick's nose scrunched against his face in disgust, "That's...eww..."

"Can you help us or not?"

"Maybe...? I don't know how I can."

"Maybe just an extra pair of eyes to look around anyway, nobody else will look for him..." and Cynder approached him, "This will hurt for a moment, so just bear with me."

"What? I don't..." but as the she-dragon touched her muzzle against Nick's forehead, sending images of Alex surging through his head, his questions devolved into explanations of pain, "OW! What the _hell_!?"

"Please," the look in Cynder's eyes was almost pleading, "Some very bad things are happening in the world right now...we need to find both of our friends."

" _Both_!?"

"There's another as well...his name is Terrias," Ruby replied, "He's a Pokemon, a servine."

Nick cocked his head to the side, "Pokemon?"

"Yes," Ruby replied with a nod, "He wears a trench coat, it's very hard to miss him."

"Okay...? But what will I get out of the deal?"

"You're freedom," Cynder replied, "And maybe a chance to find out why you're here."

"Fair enough I guess..."

"C'mon...let's go meet with the rest of our group."

"Where are we going?"

"Martaan, an island of dragons that we are aligned with. Beams have opened up around there and _Filios Diaboli_ is attacking."

"Feely _what_!?"

" _Filios Diaboli_ ," the she-dragon continued, "An army of demons that are attacking the world...you killed one of their bigger ones when we found you."

"Oh...great."

As they walked down the dismal, dimly lit halls, Ruby telepathically thought to Cynder, _If Spyro finds out that Nick's coming along, he will kill us!_

 _Not if I kill him first_ , Cynder replied coldly, startling the dolphin.

 _Are we sure we can trust him?_

 _He's our only real lead, Ruby...if you want to see Alex again, this boy may be our best chance of finding him. You said so yourself there's some kind of power coming off of him...and if those swords are as special to Messorem as you say, then who's not to say that it's prophecy they'll be reunited with Alex just like the_ Old Regime _is. Besides, he's not dangerous...to us anyway._

 _You sure?_

 _Yes, I can sense it._

As they finally exited the bunker into the blindingly sunlit day, the noonday sun reflecting off the golden sands of the mountain trails within the mining district east of New Alexandria upon which they emerged, they were greeted by a magnificent view of the sprawling city simply glowing in the light. Her mighty walls, cracked, worn, and broken, but still standing tall and strong, were visible from up here, and Cynder found herself briefly taken back to many years earlier, when they emerged from the subterranean bunkers after the floodwaters caused by the Tartarus Unit's attack early in the Second Civil War had receded enough to allow habitation. The sandstone buildings illustrating New Alexandria's unique, strongly middle eastern design stretched out for miles around, ending abruptly at the walls to give way to the unnatural desert, still having yet to be reclaimed by foliage despite the _Fiernes Curtain_ 's absence.

"Damn," Nick began, "This city is gorgeous...we sure we're in America?"

"Montana," Cynder replied, "And yes, despite what it seems...the land isn't as beautiful as it once was after the _Curtain_ charred everything...but I think the area still has its own unique beauty."

"What happened to the pastures? I thought Montana was all mountains, pastures, and forests?"

"Once upon a time, it was," Cynder continued, "But then, almost ten years ago, the president declared war on us...we had our dragons—the very ones we're about to go help—surround our territory in a wall of fire, what we called the _Fiernes Curtain_. Dragonfire is hot enough to melt down almost every known metal, and it was meant to protect us from the president's machines of war. It worked...but at the same time, there was an unintended effect the intense heat of the ever-burning flames had on the environment...something we didn't mean to do...we created this."

"One more question..." Nick began, and he pointed into the distance, towards the charred, barren wastes of the Burned Lands, "What are all those heaps of junk. They're _everywhere_ out there."

"Remains of the many battles New Alexandria has seen," Cynder continued, "Almost all of those are from the war that ended back in 2013."

"What about that?" and he pointed to the north of the city, where a massive, unnatural ravine snaked through an even larger, weathered crate, "Did you guys get bombed?"

Cynder pointed to the sky, where the black ribbon of the decommissioned _Ring_ superweapon, critically damaged by the Reapers the previous year, split the sky...although its lights had long-since gone dark, "That thing, a weapon we created to protect us from the president's army, called the _Maxia_. The crater was a test fire we did shortly after its creation...that canyon was created by these genocidal, sentient machines that tried to destroy us last year."

"Jeez...guys have a colorful history, huh?"

"More than I'd like to admit...and one that most of our men would rather forget...were it so easy."

He then turned to Ruby, "So, you're...uh...partner...why a human? Why not another dolphin?"

"I'd rather not talk about it," the dolphin replied, "It's a long story anyway, one that you wouldn't understand unless you knew us both."

"Good point."

"He's my mate, too..." Cynder replied in an offhand matter, "We just...are not regularly involved anymore."

Nick cast her a disgusted glance, "And this guy is a _human_!?"

"Yes."

"That's...what the _hell_ is _wrong_ with the guy? Not only is he a whore, but he's a whore for _animals_!?"

"There's more to it than just that," Cynder replied, "But it's not something you would understand."

"Why bother telling me? I would much rather have not known about that."

"Because it's important—not just to me, but to Ruby as well—that we find Alex and bring him home."

"What happened to him?"

"He was arrested, imprisoned...something happened, the prison was destroyed, and Alex escaped...we haven't seen or heard from him since, and we're afraid that he's in trouble."

"Well, if he broke out of jail...then yeah, he's in trouble."

"More than just that," Cynder replied, "The monster we're dealing with...he's got an ancient grudge against both Alex _and_ Ruby, and he won't stop until they're both dead. We _need_ to find Alex before Deitus does."

"Why?"

"We don't know...all we know is that he does."

Suddenly, they were interrupted as both Cynder's radio went off, "Cyn...we've had a slight change in plans." 

"Hell do you want, Spyro?" Cynder scoffed.

"This isn't the time for fighting...we have a problem, and it's about the mission."

"What about it?"

"We're going to have to hold off our attack on Martaan for awhile...seems the dragons are a bit sour after the Reapers wiped out Beta Company and nearly drove the others there to extinction...it's not safe to go there. The dragons are hostile to our forces...as of right now, we don't know why."

"They broke off the alliance?"

"More-or-less...Heinrich and I are trying to reestablish contact but...we're not having any luck. Until we get this whole mess sorted out, the mission's been put on hold. Tell Ruby this as well."

"What do we do?"

"We wait. Spyro, out."

"What's going on?" the dolphin asked.

Cynder wore a grave expression, and she turned to face the dolphin, "Seems our relationship with Martaan is on the rocks."

"What? Why?"

"Because of what the Reapers did...don't know why that makes them pissed at us, but it does. Mission's been delayed until Command can figure out what happened and how to repair our relationship."

"Great..." Nick sighed, "And what will your friends do when they see me walking around as a free man?"

"Don't worry about that. There's an old safehouse near the edge of town, it's where Alpha used to live long before New Alexandria was New Alexandria, back when we first colonized these cities. I'll take you there and you can lay low until I explain everything to Alpha Company. You might not be well received, but they'll just have to put up with it. These days, we don't have room to make new enemies or involve ourselves in conspiracies."

Ruby frowned, "Cyn...I'm worried about Alex."

"I'm sure he's fine for now, Ruby," the dragon replied, "He's a tough son of a bitch...he can take care of himself for awhile at least."


	28. Chapter XXVII: The Children of Avias

_**Chapter XXVII**_ **:**

 **-''The Children of Avias''-**

 **-Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico-**

 **- _20 February 2016_ -**

 **- _0730 Hours_ -**

"GET UP!" a harsh voice exclaimed, and Alex was startled away by a sharp pain across the gut. The wind knocked out of him, he curled into a ball, waiting to reclaim his breath before looking up to his visitor. Kira stood over him, snarling, "I said get up you lazy bastard! I didn't hit you _that_ fucking hard!" she twirled her spear in hand, walking over to Terrias, who quickly righted himself declaring his waking status before she could turn against him.

"What a wonderful way to start our fabulous new life together," Alex grunted.

"Fuck you," Kira replied, "If I'm gonna have to school your ass, the _least_ you can do is get on my level. It's early, sun's just rising, temperature is decent, perfect weather for training."

"You wouldn't even let me go to fucking sleep!"

"Bite me, not my fault you're a lazy son of a bitch. Meet me outside in five minutes, and you _better_ not be late! Got it?"

Once Kira had left the room, Alex turned to face Terrias, both wearing expressions of defeat, "Jesus...it's like boot camp all over again, huh?" the servine chuckled.

"Not at all," Alex replied, "Plastro was nicer."

"Gotta admit, this bitch gives Bob a run for his money on just how much of a dick you can be."

"I want to go home, curl into bed with Ruby, and just sleep the rest of my life away...I'm so fucking tired. These long days are killing me...actually getting homesick, too, something I never thought I would."

"Probably doesn't help that you dream about Ruby almost every night."

Alex sighed, "I fucking miss her, man..."

"I'm sure she does, too."

"Hope she's keeping away from Spyro and Piermont."

"She's smart."

"I just wish, at least, that I can contact her...let her know that I'm thinking about her, that I'm okay..." he sighed, examining his bruised arms, a result of his sparring sessions with Kira and unable to heal due to his heavily suppressed mutations, "I don't even have enough to heal...let alone call out to her. I need her right now...really badly."

"Horny again?" Terrias chuckled, but one glance towards the unhappy human told the servine that it was no joking matter, and the servine sobered, "You miss her."

"It's...pathetic," he smirked, "But without her...I feel...empty...lonely. To think that the big bad Commander Alex Vaughn is reduced to his knees by the absence of his dolphin..."

"You love her, she loves you, she _completes you_ , so I can see why you need her. You didn't know just how much she meant to you until you woke up to find she wasn't there, huh?"

Alex nodded, "One good thing that the Reapers did at least...my mind was so fucked up and I was so out of it that I didn't even notice...but now...Christ...I can feel every inch of our separation, and the longer we're apart, the harder it becomes to deal with it. It doesn't even have to be sex I just...I need her here...I need to... _feel_ her."

Terrias approached his friend, extending a hand and helping the distraught Commander to his feet before pulling him close and embracing him tightly, "She misses you, too...and you two will see each other again soon enough, don't worry."

"You don't think she'll do anything stupid do you?"

"I think she's learned her lesson," Terrias replied, "Besides, if I were her, I'd be staying as far away from Spyro and Piermont as I possibly can...especially Spyro."

As they walked to where they were to meet Kira and Avery for their daily training, Alex continued, "I still wish I knew what he has against her."

"Who?"

"Spyro...why does he hate Ruby so much?"

"I think he's mad that you're paying more attention to her than him, and since he's not strong enough to go after you directly, he's going through Ruby instead, given how weak she is."

"Why? Why does it matter to him?"

"Well...you kinda just ignore him when it's not battle related. I'm your go-to guy when you want to have some man dates, and when you're not hanging with me you're either hanging out with Dash or Ruby so...I don't really blame him. He seems to be kinda clingy...acts like some kinda scorned lover."

"Christ I hate clingy people."

Terrias grinned, "Yet you love Ruby."

"That's different."

"C'mon, is it really, Alex?"

Silence from the Commander, only widening the servine's smile.

"Yeah," he clapped the human on the back, "That's what I thought."

When they finally exited the dark, cool caves within which Avione resided out into the bitterly cold, desert morning, they found Kira kneeling before the ground, her back towards them, muttering something beneath her breath. Both Alex and Terrias waited patiently until she stood up, rotating to face the duo. Avery soon trotted out from the caves, prancing past the two students to stand by Kira's side. "I was wondering when you two morons would show up," Kira hissed, "Took long enough."

"We had to make sure we looked and smelled nice for you," Terrias grinned, and although Avery blushed and chuckled, Kira's brow furrowed even more.

"Where's your spears?" the harpy growled, and both Alex and Terrias responded by handing over the weapons they had been ordered to craft the previous night. She examined them closely, muttering something to herself. Alex and Terrias exchanged anxious glances before the birdgirl finally spoke up, "Absolute shit!" she snarled, snapping both of them across her knee and throwing the pieces aside, "Are you two so fucking incompetent that you don't even know how to make a proper weapon? Something so simple as a goddamn spear shouldn't take rocket science to figure out!"

"It's not like we make them all the time!" Alex hissed, "And your standards are so impossibly fuckin' high that I don't know how you can expect _anyone_ to make it up to them! You won't even teach us how to do it properly!"

"I shouldn't have to!"

"Then you're a really shitty teacher!" Alex snarled, and the sudden change in Kira's tone told the Commander that he had said the wrong thing.

She stepped towards him, voice calm and cold, "Really now?" she pulled her own spear out from the ground, rotating it until the head was aimed towards the ground, "I'm a bad teacher?" and she grinned darkly before she abruptly smashed the blunt end of the spear across Alex's legs. With a howl, he went down, and Kira swung again, this time landing a disgusting crack across his chest. Terrias merely looked away, knowing well not to get involved, and Avery appeared on the brink of tears. "Maybe that's because I'm _NOT A GODDAMN TEACHER_!" each word was emphasized with another powerful, crushing blow across another part of Alex's body.

Eventually, the Commander managed to summon his inner strength through the pain, and his cold blue eyes snapped open, illuminated with a burning, homicidal passion. As she brought the shaft down again for another blow, he deflected it with his palm. She swung again, this time, he grabbed onto it, tearing it free from her grasp and smashing her _own_ legs out from beneath her. "HOW DARE YOU!" he howled, "YOU SELF-RIGHTEOUS, SELF-CENTERED WHORE! I AM NOT YOUR _FUCKING_ SLAVE!"

As he swiped the head of the spear towards her head, preparing to strike, she merely stood in place, face expressionless. He caught himself mere inches from contact, however, breathing heavily, fuming.

"Well?" she hissed, "What are you waiting for? Do it! Kill me! Send me back to my sister!"

"No," he replied, and he tossed the weapon aside, biting his lip and helping her to her feet before storming off, limping into the darkness of the cave. Terrias turned to face both of the harpies, Avery on her knees, sobbing, while Kira stood up, staring off towards the direction Alex had left.

Without a sound, she walked over to where her spear lay, gently picking it up and clutching it tightly in her claws. In an emotionless, low voice, she said, "Dismissed."

"But..." Terrias began.

"Get out of here," the harpy replied, voice trembling with barely contained anger.

Alex had returned to the room, setting to work on crafting another spear. There was the whooshing of wings from outside, and the Commander barely turned his head to find Amery slowly approaching him, "Youngling, are you okay?"

"Well enough," Alex replied, saying nothing more.

"I apologize for Kira's temper..."

"Yeah, well...she's not the only one that lost control..." he examined his bloodied knuckles, tenderly clutching his fingers into a fist, trying to summon at least a little healing to mend his shattered bones, "Besides, I instigated it really."

"You must forgive her," Amery sighed, "She has changed greatly since her sister passed."

"What happened exactly?"

Silence for several moments before, "Do you remember when I said that we can breed with humans?" 

Alex nodded, "Yeah."

"Amy was...young, naïve...we hadn't approached humans for many, many generations. We became afraid of their race after watching them evolve, becoming driven by anger and pride, abandoning their faith, their families. Amy was not satisfied with our warriors, and as a rebellious soul, she left the tribe to find a mate within civilization outside our territory. She returned a year later, pregnant with the first clutch, intending to introduce her mate to the tribe, hoping that we would accept him into our society.

"But he was corrupt, dangerous...he had ulterior motives, I could sense it, Kira could, too...but instead of acting upon instinct, she let the human into our tribe, she even stood up for him against the other elders. He claimed to be a scientist, and he was obsessed with figuring out how our species was created. He pursued the archives for research...but was disgruntled by what he found. Our scrolls were too 'religious' as he claimed, and he wanted solid evidence of how we were created, and even how we were capable of reproducing with humans. When Amy laid her clutch, he slaughtered almost all of their children in his experiments. We found him, he tried to flee back to civilization, taking his research with him.

"Amy and Kira hunted him through the desert for three days, finally catching him near the outskirts of the human city from which he had been brought. They tried to bring him back to the tribe to answer for his crimes, instead, he resisted, and when your law enforcers arrived to intervene in the fight, he stole a gun, killed Amy, and wounded Kira. Kira slaughtered the enforcers and the human, and even as she slowly bled out, she carried her sister's corpse back to the tribe. When we finally found her, she had collapsed from blood loss, and almost passed from her injuries. You've noticed the scar across her stomach, yes?"

Alex nodded.

"She never could overcome Amy's death, and has since held a bitter resentment for humans. It's nothing against you personally, and I appreciate that you managed to contain yourself, even when she couldn't. It's unfortunate...she used to be so happy, full of love and life."

After silence fell between them again, Amery stood up, finally leaving the room, exiting into the rest of the cave system. Kira stood just outside, and the two exchanged glances, Kira's eyes full of defeat and humiliation, Amery's full of sorrow and disappointment, before they finally parted ways, Kira watching the elder disappear into the washroom, where a hot spring ran throughout an immense, domed cavern. Saying nothing, Kira peeked into the room, lowering her head at the sight of Alex fully involved in his project. With a snort, she stumbled away, heading towards the exit when Alex called, "Kira!"

With an exasperated sigh, she turned to face the room, where Alex was looking up to her from his spear.

"I'm sorry..."

She said nothing.

"And I'm sorry about your sister."

This last part caught her briefly off guard, but without another word, he returned his attention to the spear, leaving Kira to finally turn and leave the cave.

That night, Alex rejoined the rest of the tribe in the central cave, where they had all taken seats at a large circular table, eagerly awaiting supper. Kira was noticeably absent—the only one in the forty-or-fifty-member tribe to not be present—and Alex briefly wondered where she had gone. "Hey, Alex!" Terrias called, jogging over to the Commander and taking a seat beside him, "Check this out!" and he revealed a beautifully and almost perfectly crafted spear. The almost perfectly round out shaft of the weapon was covered in beautifully inscribed, intricate runes and patterns. The obsidian head was also cut with astonishing precision, and was tied onto the spear by colorfully woven thread, with two of Avery's feathers tied into the knot.

"How the hell did you..."

"I didn't," he chuckled, "Avery made it for me, beautiful isn't it? Here I was thinking that only machines were capable of such precise craftsmanship."

"Why did she?" 

Terrias shrugged, "She said she saw how poorly Kira had treated you earlier and didn't want me subjected to the same thing. Hard to believe she crafted this in like three hours though. This _had_ to have _at least_ taken a day or two...at least for all the detailing."

"Yeah, good luck selling that to Kira since Avery's got her signature on it."

"What? Where?"

"The feathers? Last I checked, no other person here has that kind of pattern."

"Oh...well still, this is so beautiful...I can't believe she made this."

"Yeah, good for you," Alex replied bitterly, "Meanwhile...I'm still sitting on a piece of crudely carved shit. Not looking forward to facing _more_ of Kira's wrath."

"Speaking of the devil...where the hell is she? Haven't seen her all day."

"Dunno and don't care," Alex scowled, "Would rather _not_ see her for awhile after what happened earlier."

"You okay?"

Alex shrugged, "Managed to get enough juice to heal the broken bones...still hurts like a motherfucker though," he sighed, "I want to go home, man."

"Don't worry, Alex...we will be able to, soon enough."

"Yeah? But how long we gonna be on the run?"

"Least until things clear up a bit. With Deitus running free, sure the feds'll forget about us in a month or two."

 _Alex...if you can hear me...I hope you can feel this..._

Ruby's voice startled the Commander awake, and he shot up in bed, looking around frantically for any sign of his mate. As he awoke, he realized that Ruby hadn't spoken to him physically, she had reached out to him telepathically. Eagerly, he tried to contact her bed, aware that he could now sense all of his comrades, even though it was very faint. When he realized that he was only screaming into the emptiness, he surrendered unhappily and laid back down, staring towards the rocky ceiling. A strange, pulsating presence surged through his body, causing heat to flare throughout, especially around his loins...Ruby was pleasuring herself.

He grinned at this, both saddened and happy to realize that Ruby was still trying to get through to him, to show that she loved him, she cared about him, and best of all, she was still alive. As her pleasure intensified, transforming the heat he felt into a dull ache of unsatisfied arousal, he chanced to sneak outside, slipping into the cold desert air to get some fresh air. Now by himself, he allowed Ruby's pleasure to wash over him, joining her in the long-distance game. She climaxed first, sending enough pleasure through to him, even though there wasn't much thanks to his minimal mutations, to bring him to his own. Satisfied, he sat down and rubbed his eyes, startled when Kira spoke, "Hey stupid, lemme see your spear."

His eyes snapped open and he looked ahead, spying Kira casually lounging against a boulder, arms crossed at her chest. "How long have you been there..." he asked sheepishly.

She shrugged, "Long enough."

Her voice, despite the namecalling, was less spiteful, more casual, and laced with exhaustion. He grinned widely at the unintended pun she had just made, which only caused her brow to furrow in an odd mixture of anger and embarrassment.

"Not _that_ one," she bemoaned, "The one you were working on earlier."

Alex returned into the darkness of the cave, retrieving the weapon he had been crafting before reluctantly heading back outside, where Kira was still waiting patiently, although now sitting down. Hesitantly, he handed her the weapon, and she examined it closely, "Weight's still off, looks absolutely terrible. Head's not sharp enough, you aren't hurting or killing anything with this piece of shit."

The Commander felt his fury rise, and he was half-tempted to attack her once again. He managed to control his temper, although barely.

"You're leaving me no choice but to show you how to fucking make one," and she produced the components to craft the weapon, which had been laying down beside her. She showed him first how to whittle and smooth the branch, proceeding then to show him how to properly sharpen a piece of obsidian into the spearhead. After attaching the head to the shaft, she carefully gauged its weight before tossing it to him, allowing him to get a feel for it, "Get it now?" she asked bitterly.

"Enough," he replied, handing the weapon back to her,

"Good," she twirled the spear in her hand, "Get to work," and with this, she returned into the cave, Alex begrudgingly trotting along in beside her.


	29. Chapter XXVIII: Battle of the Beam

_**Chapter XXVIII**_ **:**

 **-''The Battle of the Beam''-**

 **-Above Martaan, Caribbean Sea-**

 **-** _ **27 February 2016**_ **-**

 **-** _ **1111 Hours**_ **-**

Spyro led the Commander's Wing out of the teleportation vortexes and into the stormy skies above Martaan. Four Beams shot from the island into the skies above, with a fifth, enormous beam coming from the center. The ground beneath quaked and rumbled unnaturally, lightning flashed, thunder bellowed, and a downpour rendered visibility very low. As they neared the largest of the Beams, the sky began to adopt a deep purple glow, and what the purple dragon now recognized as meteors rocketed down from the swirling vortex...they really were looking upon the end of the world.

"What the hell is going on!?" Spyro asked over his radio, connected to New Alexandria.

Sam responded over the line, "I can't really see what you're seeing, mind being a tad more specific?"

"Thunderstorm, meteor showers, earthquakes, and everything has an odd purple tint over it."

"Sounds like the beam situation is much worse than we thought."

"Which means what? I don't understand what the fuck is going on here!"

"Okay, I'll try to explain as well as I can. There's two capstone universes that are mirror images of each other."

"Yes, yes, I know that already! The Base World and the Omniverse, what does that have to do with anything!?"

"Between the two parallels is a separate universe...a pocket dimension I suppose. Anyway, there are what these texts call 'Greater Beams' keeping the Base World and the Omniverse apart. When the Greater Beams fail and pieces of the Omniverse began to contact the Base World, the capstone universes create 'Minor Beams' which they use as a last defense to keep the worlds apart since if they touch we're talking apocalyptic results."

"Yeah? And!?"

"As the contact point between the two capstones becomes wider, the Minor Beams become larger, which begins to disrupt the environment. If you're watching the crazy shite happening that you say you are, then the area has become dangerously unstable and may have crossed the point of no return."

"What is causing this!?"

"Only Breakers are capable of shattering the Beams, both the Minors and the Greater ones. You had the pleasure of dealing with a Minor Breaker in Seattle...I wouldn't be surprised if you're going to have even more down there, if the state is as bad as you say."

"What the hell do we do then!?"

"Try to clean up Deitus' forces down there as much as you can...and hope that it's not too late for nature to fix itself."

"There's nothing we can do!?"

"Any damage done is permanent," Sam replied, "Irreversible."

"So what happens if this area falls? Does the whole world go down?"

"Not necessarily, but a massive chunk of it will. Hurry and take down _Filio Diaboli_!"

Enormous wildfires raged throughout Martaan, leaving nothing but ash and death in their wake, and the raining meteorites only caused more fires, invincible against the unnatural rain. The smoky skies were full of dragons trying to take down the countless small, flying demons, known as Imps, and even though the creatures themselves weren't that strong or powerful, they outnumbered the dragon hundreds, if not thousands, to one. The skies were dotted with them, recalling the Biblical plagues of Egypt to mind.

"Spread out!" Spyro ordered to the rest of his comrades, "We need to help them take down those creatures!" he tapped his earpiece with one claw, "Everyone still in one piece down there?"

"Roger," Jazz replied, embittered, "But these bastards are _everywhere_! Everything's in flames, and it seems Martaan's dragons are being picked out of the sky like flies...what's the damage look like from up there?"

"Wildfires as far as the eye can see...and millions of Imps...the dragons don't stand a chance at this rate."

"Should we withdraw?" Cynder asked, flying beside her mate, "Before you send our guys to their deaths, too?"

Spyro frowned, struggling to control his temper, "We have a mission, we're going to complete."

"Unless it costs us everyone we have!?" Rapid replied, horrified, "This is suicide! We're tough, but we're not invincible! There's way too many of them! I'm afraid it's too late to save Martaan."

The others of Alpha Company seemed to agree with him.

"We're not leaving!" Spyro roared, "We will defend this island, regardless of the cost! Fight your way to the central Beam, that seems to be the worst of it."

"So run barking mad right into the center of the enemy force without fighting our way through everything else first...seems like a brilliant idea," Cynder spat.

"Don't question me!" Spyro roared, "This situation is above all of us! We _CANNOT_ let _Fillios Diaboli_ break that Beam!"

"Well...this looks bad," Nick said, riding atop Cynder's back, "Where do we even start?"

"I don't know!" Spyro hissed, "Pick something! Use that magic fucking sword of yours and see if you can find the Breakers!"

"Breakers? What the hell is a Breaker!?"

"Those fucking hulks to brought down in Seattle!"

"Oh! Those!"

"YES THOSE! GET YOUR ASS IN GEAR!"

Nick responded by mimicking the dragon, causing Cynder to chuckle.

"Dash!"

"Yo, what's up, Spyro?" the pegasus replied, suddenly appearing from out of nowhere beside the purple dragon.

"Did you manage to reach anybody?"

"Negative, there's nothing left of Fort Dane after the Reapers had their way with them, Ozark's a ghost town, too."

"Any dragons that can help us!?"

"The dragons don't even _trust_ us, you kidding?"

"We need to start evacuations or something!"

"Yeah...I don't think they care about what we think anymore..." Dash replied, "Went in to try and help some dragons that were being overwhelmed...once the Imps were down, they turned against _me_."

"We're trying to help their sorry asses! Why are they attacking us!"

"Not sure," the pegasus replied, "Except that they called me selfish and a liar. In fact, they said something like, 'you let those machines destroy us, we are not going to let you help these beasts, too'."

" _WHAT!?_ We didn't even _KNOW_ about the Reaper attack until several days later! It wasn't _OUR_ fucking fault!"

"Well they seem to believe it was."

"Jesus Christ!" and the dragon took several deep breaths to regain control of himself before rocketing ahead to aide an overwhelmed Martaanean Field Dragon, "Stupid fuckers!" then, "Where the bloody hell is Piermont!? Why isn't _HE_ vouching for us here!"

"I haven't seen him since we left New Alexandria," Dash replied, taking down two Imps that had set their sights on the purple dragon, "Think it's safe to say he's not going to get involved."

"This is bullshit!" Spyro scowled, "This is _HIS_ home! The least he can do is talk some sense into his kin if he's not gonna help us defend them!"

"Well, unfortunately, the lights are all on in Pierre's head but there ain't nobody home...hasn't been for some time."

"This is the end of the road for us...isn't it."

"Don't say that, Spy," Dash replied, nodding towards the dragon, "We'll get through this!"

The dragon only shook his head with a sigh, "Can't help but feel like I failed Alex...everything's falling to pieces and there's nothing I can do to stop it, no matter how hard I try."

"It's not your fault, dude."

"Like hell it's not, Dash...never before has there been such a huge division within Alpha Company's loyalties than there is now...wonder if there's any chance it can ever be repaired."

"Not with that thinking it won't! You're doing everything you can, Spy...don't beat yourself up over it. With all the shit that's causing us to lose Alex and Terrias...and the former's the glue that keeps us all together...not surprised that our relationships are being strained by our differing ideals and values. Alpha's tough, we've been through a lot together, and once we get over this rocky patch, things will go back to normal, don't worry."

"Unfortunately, I think we're well beyond the point of 'normal', and we're past the point of no return."

"Stop being a Negative Nancy! We got this! Now get your head in the game, we got some demonic ass to kick!"

As they continued their relentless onslaught, tearing through the overwhelming _Filios Diaboli_ numbers, they quickly became aware that they were hardly denting the invasion. The creatures themselves were not that strong, but what they lacked in strength and power, they made up in sheer numbers. Within a few hours of the continuous combat, exhaustion began to wear down Alpha Company and the High Command. Although they managed to maintain their organization, a prime example of the amount of discipline the unit had, it was becoming clearer and clearer that the battle was wearing them out.

Newer members found that, where before they were sweeping through the immense numbers, slicing through _Filios Diaboli_ 's ranks like a hot knife through, they were experiencing an increasing number of close calls, and it became so bad that Spyro considered ordering for the unit to pull out. Martaan's numbers were also becoming increasingly depleted, thousands became hundreds, and that number was ever-decreasing. Before too long, Martaan's defenders had given up trying, seeming to resign to their fates as they fled back to their homes to await their imminent executions, leaving Alpha Company and the diminishing Terminator forces alone against a seemingly endless army.

The stress was almost too great for Spyro, and as the battle continued, he found himself isolating himself from combat, retreating into the depths of his mind. This also began to show in the others of Alpha Company, and although they held their own...for now, it was only a matter of time before they would collapse beneath the exhaustion. So the purple dragon found a difficult decision resting on his shoulders: did he order the mass retreat of Alpha Company, did he order to pull them out of the area while they were still intact? Or did he say nothing and let the unit remain there until their numbers began to fall to the innumerable _Filios Diaboli_ forces. All while his mind was torn over this painful decision, the various Beams dotting throughout the island began to grow wider...the skies and terrain became more apocalyptic...and a powerful, constant wind was blowing through the land, disorienting the flying members. At this rate, it seemed that they were going to lose the island, and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

Spyro was snapped back into reality by a pained cry from Cynder, flying nearby, and his eyes instantly turned to see several Imps latching themselves onto the she-dragon's body, weighing her down, clawing, and gnashing at her wings and body. She crash landed into the ground, and with the instinct taking over, the purple dragon instantly rocketed down to help her. "Cynder!" he cried, opening his maw to spew hot fire down upon the surrounding shadow-demons. The she-dragon shielded herself against the encircling demons, briefly crying out as Spyro's flames flared, scorching her belly and flank. He landed onto the charred earth, brutally hacking the attacking Thralls to pieces before racing through the flames to where his mate lay sprawled upon the ground, breathing heavily, "Cynder!" he exclaimed, panic in his voice, "Oh God, Cynder!" he knelt beside her, "I'm so sorry! I was trying to save you, I didn't mean to..." he fell silent, frowning unhappily and sighing, "I'm sorry..."

The purple dragon was suddenly taken away from the battle at hand, taken back many years earlier, to where he had first stood over a wounded Cynder. This time, it was long before they had mated, long before the thought had even crossed their minds. Back then, she was the enemy, and the dragon was torn whether to spare her and give her a chance to redeem herself, or finish off the evil, corrupted she-dragon.

"Spyro..." she choked, coughing as the purple dragon tended to her wounds. The burns weren't too severe, but there were a lot of them, and they would likely scar. Almost all of her belly scales, including the lower reaches of her flank, especially around her thighs, were raised, deformed, and peeling. Gently, the dragon brushed his mate, struggling to hold back tears.

"Cynder...I'm so sorry..." he nuzzled her onto his back, taking to the skies and abruptly flapping away, leaving the island behind him.

"Spyro!" he could hear his unit call back, their exclamations echoing over the burning landscape, " _SPYRO!_ Where are you going!?"

Dash stared off, in shock, towards where Spyro had fled, vanishing in a flash of blue light. It took several minutes for her to process that they had just been abandoned, but once the message had gone through, she instantly called for Alpha Company to regroup. They were pulling out of here. While Alpha Company struggled to fight their way towards a common rendezvous point, two very deep, distinct roars reverberated throughout the forest, sinking their hearts. In a flash of white, two Minor Breakers rocketed out of the the central Beam, the largest of them, landing amid the burning plains.

"Fuck me..." Dash whispered, horrified. She raced towards the creatures, tapping her earpiece, "Nick! You a miracle worker!?"

"Uh...maybe?" he replied awkwardly over the line, "Why?"

"Remember that giant bastard you killed for us back in Seattle!?"

"Yeah."

"Need you to kill two more for us! Make your way to the Central Plains, need you here pronto!"

Thankfully, with the arrival of the Breakers, the flow of _Filios Diaboli_ grunts had seemed to cease. Although all the situation really seemed to be was akin to putting out a raging fire with an even _BIGGER_ fire. Like they had done in Seattle, Alpha Company concentrated everything they had against the behemoths, trying to take one out at a time before realizing that the beasts were much smarter than that. Even worse, they fought in eerie synchronization, giving the animalistic creatures an alarming level of intelligence.

Despite the abrupt leaving of their commanding officer, Alpha Company managed to remain organized, but the unit still found themselves in a losing battle. The beast was too powerful, nothing they could do could bring it down, and it seemed that, despite everything, they had finally reached their final chapter. Even while facing defeat, Dash remained strong, proving that she would not go down without a fight. For several minutes, the unit held their own until, slowly but surely, the Breakers got their advantage over the battle-weary unit.

The pegasus was thrown aside as the Breaker swiped towards her, sliding painfully across the broken, buckled street. With a deafening roar, the Breaker launched towards her, tongue hanging out from its open jaw, preparing to pounce upon her. She shielded her eyes from the sight startled when a young but powerful voice bellowed, " _STOP!_ "

She opened her eyes, filled with relief when she spied Azazel standing between her and the Breaker. The demon boy held his arms forward, and the frightened Breaker was crying out, levitating several feet above the ground.

"Zaz!" Dash exclaimed, "Oh thank God!"

"Get out of here!" he replied, "I'll take care of him!"

Without a moment's hesitation, the pegasus was on her feet, racing towards where the rest of Alpha Company was gathering around, watching in awe of Azazel's intervention. The second Breaker soon arrived to aide his companion, leaping towards the goat boy, but not before Nick, with smooth, astonishing grace, slid between the two, sword outstretched, and impaled the bottom of the beast's jaw with his glistening blade. In a flash of light, a powerful, hot wind blew around him, and the Breaker's aura, a dark black, seemed to get sucked into _Soulreaper's_ luminescent blade as if exposed to a vacuum. With a loud crack, the Breaker fell in death upon the ground, and Nick sheathed his glowing sword, turning to face Azazel.

"Die demon!" he exclaimed, making a run to kill the goat boy as well.

"NO!" Ruby exclaimed, pouncing upon Nick and knocking him to the ground, pinning him in place, "Azazel is on our side!"

As the last remaining Breaker squirmed to break free of Azazel's levitation, the stress on the small boy's face became apparent, and his limbs wobbled uneasily, "Get out of here guys!" he exclaimed in a strained voice, "Please! I can't hold onto him for much longer!"

A low rumbling filled the air, a light earthquake rocked the land, and light flashed outwards from the Beam directly in front of them, emitting a low drone. "What's happening!?" Dash exclaimed.

With a final flash, a hot wind exploded from the beam of light, knocking everyone around it to the ground. Their ears popped from the pressure, ringing with tinnitus, and the final flash had temporarily blinded them. When at last their vision returned, they found themselves being sucked up through the Beam, and they watched in horror at the ground below them grew farther and farther apart. "Grab onto me!" Azazel's voice called, omnipresent, and Alpha Company was frightened to watch several slick, black tentacles creep out from the goat boy's back stabbing forward within reach of them. Reluctantly, they did, and more stress showed on the demon's face, "We need to get back to the Base World! The Beam is pulling us into other dimensions! This is bad!"

"You're a monster!" Jazz exclaimed, snarling.

"No!" Azazel replied, voice strained, "I...I'm good! I swear!"

"You're Deitus' progeny!" Rocket exclaimed, "How can we trust you!?"

"I'M NOT MY FATHER!" he howled, collapsing into tears of hurt, "I will _NEVER_ be my father!"

Dash felt herself growing weaker, and she asked, "Are you absorbing our life force like Deitus does with his...things?"

Azazel frowned, eyes puffed red with tears, "I'm fighting back the urge, it's hard..."

"I trust you!" Dash called over the roar of the wind.

"Me, too!" Ruby replied.

Hesitantly, one-by-one, the others of Alpha Company agreed as well, until eventually Jazz capitulated with the others. His happiness restored, Azazel nodded determinedly and exclaimed, "Hold on! I will get you out of here!"

They watched as Azazel began to glow a faint maroon and their direction of travel seemed to be reversed. When the ground of Martaan came into view, drawing every closer, they could see relief and genuine pride in the goat boy's expression, something they had never seen before. Just as they breached the clouds, however, a faint roar pierced the powerful wind, and Azazel was knocked back into the vortex by an unseen entity. Instantly, the direction of gravity changed again, and once more, Alpha Company found themselves being pulled into space. This time, a new creature joined them in the fray: the last surviving Breaker. Teeth and claws gnashing to-and-fro, attempting to strike Dash, the closest to the creature, she struggled with all her might to evade the beast's charges.

Within seconds, the world brightened to a blinding white before the light instantly dissipated, revealing the infinite expanse of the _Inner Dimension_. The view was breathtaking, watching all of the Major Beams supporting the sky as if they were in a city between clouds. An ethereal roar, like nothing any of them had ever heard before, reverberated throughout the infinite void, and a massive, red, serpentine wyvern of incomprehensible size and appearance slithered towards them, ramming itself into the Beam within which Alpha Company was traveling and abruptly shattering it like glass, raining glass-like shards back to the clouded floors. Alpha Company free fell towards the floor, while the clouded sky above shuddered uneasily and began to collapse towards them.

Entering the cloud-like floor that composed the Base World, they were blinded by another flash of light, their vision clearing to find themselves falling through the sky of a nighttime city-scape, towards a dark, silhouetted park below. They landed abruptly upon the ground, surprisingly unharmed, but hard enough to knock them unconscious.

Dash was the first to come to, and with a groan, she picked herself up off the ground, blinking around until her eyes fell upon an unconscious Azazel lying in a crumpled heap on the ground nearby. With a start, she raced towards the goat boy's side, and the demon groaned as he slowly came to, blinking his shining, innocent orange eyes around. "Are you okay?" the pegasus asked.

He nodded, grunting as he sat up, picking himself up and looking around. He bore his teeth in fear, his eyes adopting a terrified expression, "Oh no! The Beam!"

"Settle down!" Dash exclaimed, trying to calm the hysterical goat boy, "What's going on? What happened?"

"The Alpha Breaker! It shattered the Beam and..." he shook his head abruptly, "This isn't good! We need to get back to the Base World and soon! Before this world starts to dissolve you!"

"Dissolve us? What? Isn't _this_ the Base World!?"

"No! This is one of the universes _falling_ to the Base World..." and he pointed to the sky, where the moon was as large as a beach ball and painted a bloody red, "If we don't get back soon, we'll die!"

Another roar blasted through the eerie, unsettling silence, and the duo turned to spy the Breaker busting through the overgrown trees, snarling viciously towards them. While the rest of Alpha Company returned to consciousness, Nick, the next one to awaken, was soon on his feet, sword drawn. He lunged towards the creature, which merely knocked him aside with the back of one paw. It lumbered towards Dash and Azazel, and the goat boy shoved her aside with surprising strength as he once more extended his arms, halting the beast mid-stride. It snarled and spit viciously, not amused by its capture yet again. Swiping his arms aside, the Breaker was thrown to the ground, sliding to a stop and uprooting several ancient trees in its momentum.

"Listen guys..." Azazel began, sounding worried, "You are about to see something that will probably frighten you...please don't attack me, I promise I won't hurt you."

"What are you gonna do?" Dash asked, but Azazel's full attention had returned to the Breaker, having recovered from the attack and once more breaking into a wild sprint towards the small goat boy. He stood erect, lowering his head and bring his hands together as if in prayer. Just as the beast pounced upon him, a powerful, ghastly wind blew from the boy, with a noise like that of a dozen screeching spirits. His eyes snapped open, now glowing a brilliant red, and he threw his arms open, as if affixed to a crucifix, slowly rising off the ground.

"What the hell...!?" Dash began, jaw dropped.

Dozens of black tentacles tore through Azazel's back, slithering and hissing like a tangle of snakes. They all stabbed forward at once, impaling the Breaker in mid-leap, raining black blood onto the ground. Once more, Azazel brought his arms together again, his tentacles mimicking the action before he violently threw them apart again, the tentacles doing likewise and tearing the beast in two with a disgusting rip. Without moving, Azazel rotated to face the dumbfounded Alpha Company, bearing his fangs in a bloodthirsty smile, all innocence in his appearance abruptly thrown away. In this form, he appeared very much like a beast of Hell, his fur matted with the gore of the slain Breaker, his grin malicious and homicidal. He floated towards them before, with a ghastly, layered, demonic half he collapsed, once more unconscious, to the ground, his tentacles rapidly retreating into his back.

For several moments, Alpha Company remained there, unmoving, horrified by what they had just witnessed, afraid to go near the demonic child. It was Dash and Ruby who first broke their paralysis to run to the boy's aid, helping him to his feet. From out of nowhere, a young faun rocketed out of the brush, sprinting past and nearly knocking the trio to the ground. Azazel's eyes, briefly glowing red, snapped open and he gasped, reflexively shoving aside the creature and launching it across the clearing. She let out a horrified screech before striking a tree with a disgusting crack, falling to the ground, corpse twisted and broken, a pool of dark red growing around its body.

"Oh no...!" Azazel choked, horrified as he ran over to the creature he had unintentionally killed.

Dash and Ruby saw to the others of Alpha Company before approaching where Azazel knelt in a crumpled heap by the corpse, cradling its head in his lap...shoulders trembling. "Zaz?" Dash asked, "Are you okay?"

He spoke then without facing them, voice small and filled with tears, "I...I killed it..." he sniffled as the two knelt beside him, "I...I'm a murderer...it didn't even do anything wrong...and I killed it..." he broke down into sobs now, "I...I really am just like my father...I really am a monster..."

"You didn't mean to..." Ruby said, hugging the goat boy, "It was an accident."

He shook his head, still in denial at what he had done, "No...no...I killed it...I _killed_ it...!"

"It's okay, Zaz," Dash replied, "You said so yourself, this world is dying anyway, the creature would have perished anyway."

"It's not okay...it was a living thing, it was breathing. I could hear its heartbeat, it was scared and alone...it was crying out for help...and I...I killed it...I _murdered_ it! I'm a monster...I'm sorry, I'm sorry...I didn't mean to..." and his words once more became incomprehensible in his sobs. He gently caressed the faun's bloodied head before placing his palm upon it. Still sniffling, he began to glow, and both Dash and were horrified to watch as he briefly became thinner and sickly looking, mending the slain creature's body and restoring its very life. Now alive, it kicked and screeched, struggling to get on its feet before Azazel let it go, helping it up and watching it run off towards the woods. As it neared the trees, however, it paused in place, as if striking a wall, suddenly calming and craning its head to look upon Azazel, wheezing and unable to support himself.

"Listen to me, Zaz," Dash replied bitterly, "And listen well, I know you don't want to become like your father, but you'll die if you don't get some vitality. Take some of mine!"

"No..." Azazel replied weakly, "I can't."

"You can and you will."

"Take some of mine, too," Ruby replied with a firm nod.

"No...I'm not a lifehunter, I'm not my father..."

"No, you're not," Dash replied with a smile, "And you're not _hunting_ our life energy, we're _giving_ it to you of our own free will. Do whatever you need to do, but at least restore your strength."

"I'll hurt you."

"Do it!"

The strength in the pegasus' voice was so harsh and pointed that Azazel weakly flinched before, baring his fangs in fear, he nodded, "A...Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"You will tell me if I accidentally take too much?" 

"Don't worry about that!"

He hesitated for several seconds before placing a furry palm against Dash's chest, "I'm sorry..." he muttered, squeezing his eyes shut as he balled his hand into a fist an punched through the pegasus' torso. Blood dripping from the point of entry, the pegasus' jaw hanging low, her legs trembled briefly before completely giving out beneath her, and she struggled to breathe. "I'm sorry..." Azazel repeated, his eyes squeezed as tightly as he could muster, tears dripping down his cheeks before he finally tore his bloody hand free from her body. As soon as he pulled out, Dash gasped for breath, twitching and trembling uncontrollably, blue sparks dancing across the wound on her chest until it healed. The goat boy then asked Ruby if she was still willing. Hesitantly, the dolphin nodded and Azazel did the same to her, the dolphin squealing in pain as his fist punched through her belly. When at last he pulled out from within her and the dolphin collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, Dash slowly picked herself up, sighing with relief at the sight of Azazel, looking much healthier now, even though he was coated in blood. "Please..." he muttered through a fresh wave of tears, "I'm so sorry...forgive me."

Once both Ruby and Dash had recovered from their offerings, they supported Azazel, carrying him back to the rest of Alpha Company, huddled around and talking among themselves, trying to figure out where they were and how to get back home.

Once the trio had rejoined the unit, Azazel wriggled free from his supports, standing on unsteady legs and saying, "Please listen to me, don't be afraid of what's about to happen, I'm going to get us all back home, okay?" and he adopted the same pose that he had taken shortly before his grisly transformation to slay the Breaker. This time, he glowed a burnt orange, and when his eyes snapped open, they were a bright, pupil-less white. Suddenly, from out of the woods, the faun that the goat boy had resurrected raced towards the group, nearly stampeding into the clustered Alpha Company just as, in a flash of light, they found themselves back home on Martaan. Frightened, the faun stumbled around, tripping over itself and running in circles, trying to decide where to go. Azazel nearly collapsed once again, but thankfully both Dash and Ruby were there to catch him before he could fall. They had returned to where the largest of the Beams had been, only now it had completely vanished, leaving a deep, steaming crater in its place.

"Do you need another recharge?" Dash asked wearily.

Azazel shook his head, "No...it's all right, I can take this hit without _too_ much problems...but thank you for saving my life."

"You saved ours," Ruby replied with a smile, surprising the goat boy with a hug. He tensed, becoming stiff as a board, trembling uneasily from the contact, but the dolphin didn't seem to notice, or if she did, she didn't respond.

When at last the dolphin broke the embrace, Azazel fell back, glancing around uneasily and saying, "L-Listen, I need to get back home before daddy finds out I'm gone."

"Azazel!" Rocket exclaimed, nodding towards the goat boy, "Thank you."

He only smiled in response, face bright and cheerful before stepping back, vanishing in a flash of light. The faun he had resurrected continued running around Alpha Company, frightened and trying to get away from them. As she ran past Piermont, the human-form dragon snarled and viciously shoved her aside, throwing her into Dash and knocking the two of them to the ground. He smirked coldly, before responding, "Now that the little goat fuck is gone, we have dinner."

"I second that motion," Eli said with a grin, but the others of Alpha Company soon gathered around the frightened creature, standing between her and the duo.

It was Cherub that spoke out, "You're not going to touch her!"

"Really then?" Piermont frowned, "Then what the fuck are we gonna do with her? She's gonna die here anyway, might as well claim it as our own before another dragon, or _Filios Diaboli_ , gets her first!"

"She's coming back with us," Aria said.

"Are you fucking kidding me!?" and the wrath in Piermont's tone was scarily genuine.

"Fuck off!"

Piermont scowled, casting the servine a homicidal glare but saying nothing, falling once more into his uncharacteristic silence.

"I swear to God," Aria hissed, "When I see Spyro again, I am gonna castrate that motherfucker!"

"Get in line," Rocket growled, "Bastard left us to die!"

"Let's all agree to take turns having our way with him, but first, can we get back to New Alexandria?" Eli asked, "The longer I'm in this damned place, the more it creeps me out."

Spyro stood by Cynder's bedside within the hospital in New Alexandria's business district, clutching his mate's paw. He said nothing, cold and numb, hating himself for what he had done. It was an accident, of course, but the more he thought about it, the worse he felt. He had been mistreating her, hadn't showed or told her how much he loved her and how much she meant to him, and now here she was, in critical condition, likely believing that her mate despised her. "Cynder..." he said, voice weak, "I'm so sorry...,for everything. I know I've been an ass lately but I..." he sighed, "There's no excuse, I'm an asshole...but I really am sorry. I love you and I don't want anything to happen...please forgive me, I'm sorry..." and he gently touched his forehead to hers, hoping the message carried across.

She stirred, and Spyro righted himself expectantly, smiling with relief as the she-dragon opened her beautiful eyes, shining with an unreadable expression...was it fear? Sadness? Joy?

"Cyn...I'm sorry for everything," he said to her, "I know I've been an ass, and I know that I've done some things that I shouldn't have done...but please hear me out. I still love you, I don't want to lose you. If you give me a second chance, I _promise_ that I'll settle down...please...forgive me, I can't lose you...you and the kids are all I have left."

She blinked at him, acknowledging that she had heard him, even though she couldn't speak or move with the various medical devices she had been hooked up to.

"Listen...I've been thinking about it a lot lately..." he shook his head, "This is...too much, the stress of commanding this army...I can't handle it anymore. As soon as I can get to Alex, as _soon_ as I go through him about it...I'm going to resign. I'm done, I'm tired of leading this army, I'm tired of the stress...it's hurting me, it's hurting _us_ , it's hurting _everyone_."

Suddenly, from behind him the door slammed open and Rocket exclaimed, "You selfish _BASTARD_!"

Before the purple dragon even had a chance to face the furious raccoon, he was grabbed by the horns from behind by Aria and violently thrown against the wall. He backpedaled until he was trapped in a corner, his eyes wide with fear as each member of Alpha Company, furious, piled into the room and surrounded him.

"You left us to die back there! You heartless, hypocritical prick!" Aria hissed, "How fucking _DARE_ you!"

"I can explain..." Spyro began weakly.

"You damn well better!" Rocket hissed, "Cause if you don't, there ain't gonna be nothin' left of you when we're through with you!"

"Leave him alone!" Cynder exclaimed in a weak voice, and all eyes turned to face her. The she-dragon had pulled the tubes from her mouth and throat, sitting up as far as the other various devices hooked to her would allow, "Please, leave him be."

"He left us to die back there, Cyn!" Dash exclaimed, "What the fuck were we supposed to do!? He abandoned us!"

"I accidentally burned Cyn when I was trying to save her and I-I freaked out!" Spyro exclaimed, "All I could think about was getting her back here before too much damage was done. I didn't mean to leave you guys behind I was just..."

"Nuh-uh!" Rocket hissed, pulling a switchblade, "We ain't gonna listen to your shit anymore! From now on, I ain't taking orders from you!"

" _None_ of us are," Aria hissed, and the others of Alpha Company agreed similarly.

"Fair enough," Spyro replied, sobering with a scowl, "I resign anyway. This is Pierre's army now. It's his to command now."

Horror briefly struck each and every member of Alpha Company, all of them casting quick, worried glances towards the mentally unstable Martaanean dragon before agreeing to the declaration.

"Now please..." Spyro replied weakly, submissively, "Just...leave me in peace. I'm done."


	30. Chapter XXIX: A Day in the Life

_**Chapter XXIX**_ **:**

 **-''A Day in the Life''-**

 **-Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico-**

 **-** _ **03 March 2016**_ **-**

 **-** _ **0548 Hours**_ **-**

 _Alex opens his eyes, groaning as he sits up. He's aware that he's no longer in the dens of Avione, and frantically looking around, he calls into the dark world, "Hello!? Is there anybody out there!?"_

 _Panic latching onto him, he began to lose control, crying out for help, crying out for someone to speak to him. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he was soon aware of a beautiful valley..._ the _valley within which he had dreamed sweetly of Dash prior to their meeting._

" _Alex?" Ruby's soft voice spoke from behind him, and he instantly turned to face his delphinic mate, smiling shyly and blushing._

" _RUBY!" he exclaims, racing towards her and embracing her tightly, smacking his lips against the dolphin's mouth, "Oh thank God, Ruby...you're okay! I missed you..." he devolves into tears, repeatedly kissing her, "I missed you so much..."_

" _Alex," her eyes watered, "I missed you...please don't leave me."_

" _I'm here Ruby," he chuckles, "Don't worry, sexy," he stroked her face, "I won't...ever."_

 _As they kiss once more, Alex hears a dark, grim chuckle, and a voice telepathically speaks to him,_ Hello baby! _Alex's eyes snap open and he falls back in alarm, finding that Ruby no longer stands there, instead he is staring at a towering, barrel-chested Satyr, his skin a deep red, the fur on his legs a dark brown, with mighty, devilish horns upon his head. He chuckles, licking his lips, "Do you have to use tongue, daddy?"_

" _Deitus!" Alex exclaims, terrified, "Leave me alone!"_

" _Nah," the archdemon chuckles, "I'm only looking for some_ love _!" and in a flash of light, Alex is once more staring towards Ruby, the dolphin smiling mischievously at him. She blinks, her eyes, upon opening becoming bright orange in color. "C'mon!" Ruby says in Deitus' voice, "Am I gonna have to touch myself again? That's no fun!"_

" _What do you want from me!?" Alex exclaims, "Why are you doing this?"_

" _Karma's a bitch, daddy," Deitus replies in a malicious tone, "You betrayed me, abandoned me, and cursed me, imprisoned me inside of purgatory because of a few stupid choices on my part. While you beat me down,_ she _just turned and walked away, even as a cried for help...what kind of mother does that to her son? What kind of mother lets her kid suffer, while she just sits there and watches? Did you think I would forget about all of that?"_

" _I'm not Messorem and Ruby isn't Vitam! Leave us alone!"_

" _Ah, but that's where you're wrong, see? I know the whole prophecy stuff, I_ know _that you and Ruby are the final reincarnations of those two dicks, and now I'm gonna get my revenge at last."_

" _Then why don't you do it then, huh? Or are you just waiting for us to come kill you? Cause you're doing a shitty job on the whole 'revenge quest' thing."_

 _Deitus isn't amused, and he snarls, baring fangs, "I would if I could...but unfortunately, there's not a whole terrible lot you can do when you're trapped like I am."_

" _You're free, kill us if you are so hellbent on doing so! Ruby and I are both in weakened, vulnerable states, why aren't you taking advantage of that? Or are you content with making the same foolish mistake that every stereotypical villain does, waiting until the hero has a chance to beat them before actually_ acting _upon the intent to kill them. Cause that just makes you a moron."_

 _Deitus growls, "I AM NOT A MORON! I'm more intelligent than you could ever_ hope _to be! I am stronger and more powerful than you and my mother and everyone else in your little, feeble army!"_

" _Prove it then!" Alex roars, taunting the apparition, "We're vulnerable! Why don't you attack already? Because if you're waiting for some specific opportunity to attack, you're just dicking yourself over. Fucking idiot."_

" _You can mock me all you want, Messoremel, but in the end,_ I _will have the last laugh!" he forces fake laughter here, "All while I have you and your pet fish spitroasting over my lava tank!" he grins smugly then, "But right now? There are a few more pieces that still need to fall into place before I'm ready to have some fun. We'll keep in touch, honey...buh-bye!" and with maniacal laughter, he fades away into oblivion, his deep, layered voice echoing in the void. Now that the demon has completely dissolved, the world around Alex begins to sizzle and melt until the very ground gives way beneath Alex's feet and he finds himself falling into the infinite void..._

...Alex's eyes shot open and the Commander caught his breath. With a groan, he sat up in bed, glancing over at his unfinished spear. Looking around to ensure everyone else remained asleep, he quietly stood up, walking over to and picking up the weapon, continuing his work on it. He was becoming increasingly demoralized with Kira's demeaning behavior and mockery of his ability to craft a spear and his clunky skill in spear-based combat. Although she had calmed considerably since his outburst, she was still as cynical, demanding, and demeaning as always, and all this seemed to do was further irritate the already impatient Commander. Alex was suffering, he was homesick, he missed his mate dearly, and he felt alone and alienated among these closely familial creatures. This only darkened his mood, and he found himself sinking further into a depressive rut. His dreams became darker as well, old, painful memories had begun to resurface yet again while he slept, and more often than not his pleasant dreams of Ruby turned into horrific, nightmarish entities that nourished his insomnia.

Kira saw this weakness in him and was beginning to exploit, often using him as an example of thing that would go wrong. He was often accused when things didn't go as planned, every day Kira tasked him with repeatedly crafting spears to meet her impossibly high standards. Even as he became better at crafting the weapon, this only raised the bar on the harpy's expectations, and she would find some kind of flaw to call him out upon, demanding it be redone. If she couldn't find a flaw, she would make one, or she would make such convincing arguments as that the weapon was 'ugly', 'amateurish', or 'so crude that it is unfit to be a warrior's ally'. Following these very public and open statements, shaming and humiliating him in front of Terrias and in front of the tribe, she would then break the weapon or otherwise render it useless and demand he remake it. As she became more relentless and abusive, the namecalling and insults becoming increasingly harsh and pointed, Alex found himself becoming ever more resistant. In a week, she was tempering what Ruby had spent three years weakening upon him. Kira had also changed how she was training him. Before, he was trained with other, younger tribesfolk and Terrias, but now, Kira trained him exclusively in private, becoming ever more violent and abusive towards him.

Terrias still trained with the other younglings and Avery, who now didn't even try to hide her obvious attraction to the servine, and much to the Commander's bewilderment, it seemed that Terrias was falling for _her_ as well. When Alex had confronted him on this and his loyalty to Aria, the servine had acted bitterly and coldly towards him, responding that their old life had long since passed on, and now they were living a new one, citing this as his reasoning for playing to Avery's interest in him and subtle courting of the harpy. The servine would then take jabs at Alex's private sparring sessions with Kira, teasing that Alex should forget about Ruby and forget about Alpha Company, instead trying to court the 'moderately attractive', fiery girl. Although Terrias said this in a joking manner, it was a barb that still wounded the Commander and placed some strain on the duo's close, brotherly relationship.

Even Kira had jumped aboard this, claiming that the Commander was 'too soft' to let go of the past and embrace the present. She called him out on his naïvety (which only fueled Alex's deep, unrelenting hatred of her), claiming that he was an idiot that refused to forget about his past life. Over time, this wore him down to the point that he became increasingly submissive to the harpy, which only fueled her power trip and worsened the abuse she dealt upon him. Alex had learned to avoid her whenever he could, for even when they weren't training, should they pass each other in the hall, she would punch or otherwise strike him before cackling and flying away. She would often change her orders at the last minute, forcing him to undo something he had spent hours trying to accomplish to begin anew, she would change their meeting locations without telling them, then proceed to chew him out and beat him for 'taking advantage' of her 'generosity', while simultaneously admitting that she 'forgot' to tell him of the change but acting as if he should have known about it anyway. She would force him to do humiliating and self-deprecating things should he fail to block one of her strikes, and time and time again she called him inept for confusing swordplay with spearplay, without even taking the time to explain what he was doing wrong and how to improve his skill. He had gotten worse enough that the Commander dreaded climbing out of bed and had all but given up trying to please the red-haired wench.

Now, Alex and Terrias had been reunited with Avery and Kira, working together for the first time in weeks, to train the duo at once. Kira's new method of humiliation was to force Alex to spar while clad only in his minimal undergarments. A few days earlier, while he had been washing up, he left the spring to find his and Terrias' clothes burning in the cooking bonfires burning in pits sunken into the heart of the central, beehive-like hub. After facing the humiliation of their nudity before the Elders and the entire tribe (although Kira and Avery were strangely absent), they were given newly-sewn loincloths by Elder Amery. When Alex had met with Kira again later that night, shortly before bed, the harpy had laughed at his change in apparel claiming that his looks were much less unbearable without those ragged prison uniforms he had been wearing since his arrival, the only semblance of a compliment the harpy had given him, even though she quickly added that just because he was a little less unpleasant to the didn't mean he wasn't still the 'ugliest motherfucker' she'd ever seen.

The Commander evaded a swipe from Kira, countering with a forward slash towards the harpy, merely smacking her on the head. With a swear, she shoved him back, smacking his stomach with the blunt end of her spear, knocking the breath out of Alex. Furious, she stood over him, "Fucking dumbass!" she hissed, "This is a _spear_ not a fucking sword! You're an idiot! Get it through your thick skull!" and she whacked his stomach again, "You aren't going to kill _anything_ the way you're fighting now!"

Alex bit back his words, slowly picking himself up and wrapping a hand on his stomach, now glowing a bright red from where she had struck him.

"I have no hope for you," Kira continued, "You're a waste of breath, a waste of air, I'm surprised that you aren't dead already to be completely honest!"

Alex said nothing, only looked towards the ground, balling his fists and controlling his temper. Twirling her spear, she stormed off, returning into the darkness of Avione, and Terrias stood nearby, leaning against the cliff wall, smiling widely and shaking his head, "You sure have a way with the ladies, Alex."

"Fuck you," Alex replied coldly, looking to where Kira had vanished, and he continued, "Says the guy who's cheating on his mate back home."

Terrias sobered instantly, saying in a bitter voice, "It's not like we're ever going to see them again anyway, Alex. We might as well move on, I'm sure they will, too."

"How can you say that?" the Commander asked, aghast.

"Because I'm a realist," Terrias replied, "Alex, we're escaped convicts, and the whole fuckin' world believes that we're the ones that orchestrated that massacre. Even if we _did_ manage to make it back home, it wouldn't take long before the feds caught up to us, and when they do, we'll be put away for a helluva lot longer than ten years. You might as well come to terms that our lives, as we know them anyway, are over."

"So what are we gonna do then? Just sit here and wait for Deitus to bring the whole fucking world down on top of us?"

"You have any other plans?"

Silence from the Commander.

"Listen, Alex...I get it. I know you love Ruby, you don't want to give up hope of seeing her again. I have the same struggle with Aria...but the problem is that, think about it realistically, man. If we _did_ go back home, and the feds found and locked us up again, Do you think we can explain what happened at the prison? Do you think they would believe us? We sealed our fates the moment we took the opportunity to run. Do I regret the decision? Not really, but at the same time, we abandoned pretty much all hope of seeing our families again. We're fugitives now."

Defeated, Alex asked, "So what do you suppose we do, Terrias?"

The servine shrugged, "Get comfortable, cause this is our new life."

"Great," the Commander sighed, "What did I do to deserve spending the rest of my days being treated like absolute shit by the biggest, self-entitled bitch in the world."

Terrias grinned slyly, "Maybe a little karmic justice for your treatment of Sarah over Ruby, Dash, and Cyn?"

Alex narrowed his eyes.

"What? It's kinda ironic, don't you think? A misogynistic, sex-addicted pig as the S.J.W's would call you—no offense—getting some major karmic retribution by spending the rest of his life under the rule and oppression of a fiercely independent woman who won't take none of that shit and is more than satisfied by having said asshole by the balls, emasculated, as her personal slave."

"And here I was thinking that I was on the _GOOD_ side of Karma."

"Honestly don't know how you could have expected it any other way. You're not really all that generous, you're an absolute dick to anyone that's not in your clique, you happily sleep around with whoever is willing to spread their thighs for you, and if they aren't really willing, you try to seduce them until they _do_ submit, you sleep around with _animals_ , you take matters into your own hands as a vigilante..."

"You can stop now," Alex replied, but Terrias continued, ignoring him.

"You're not afraid to prove your superiority over others. You live comfortably outside and above the law, and will fight tooth and nail to make sure you're not pushed off your little cushion. You think of yourself as some special snowflake given your origins, and although they are unfortunate and everyone _does_ pity you, you kinda go overboard with your ego and self-entitlement. So yes, I think all of this is just the wheel of Karma spinning around to nip you in the bud."

With this said, Terrias clapped him on the back and walked away, disappearing outside and leaving the Commander alone. _And your situation just keeps getting worse and worse, doesn't it, Ali? You're stronger than a_ normal _man not to just give up._

Alex stiffened, turning around to see Zack casually leaning against the wall of the cavern, wearing a bored expression.

"It's quite amusing actually."

The Commander looked away, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to convince himself that the boy wasn't real, "Leave me alone, Zack…you're not real."

"Oh, my dear friend," he replied walking over the Alex and firmly grabbing his shoulder, "I'm as real as you want me to be."

The Commander was horrified, he could actually _feel_ the boy's hand upon him, could smell the cologne that Zack used to wear when they weren't in battle back during their days together in _Devha_. "No…" he began, "No, no, no…go away! You're not real! You're not real…" but Alex's voice was becoming increasingly strained, increasingly desperate.

"What the hell are you doing!?" a female voice exclaimed, and Alex's head snapped up to spy Kira standing before him, arms crossed at her chest. The Commander, laying on his hands and knees upon the ground, anxiously looked behind him, finding that the apparition of his fallen hero had vanished once again.

Alex shook his head, "Nothing…why does it matter to you?"

Get off the floor!" Kira scoffed, "And get your ass outside," she turned, walking away.

The Commander slowly picked himself up off the ground, looking back to where Zack had been leaning. _What's happening to me?_ he thought to himself.

Zack's laughter echoed around him, making his blood run cold, and although the boy didn't reappear, he spoke, _You're losing your mind, Ali! You are fulfilling my prophecy a little at a time!_

Alex squeezed his eyes shut at the onslaught of another headache. After several moments of crippling pain, it faded away into nothingness, and he stood up once again, hurrying towards the door leading outside, suddenly paranoid and terrified of the cave. Upon stepping out into the sunlight, he found Terrias and Avery actively engaged in their sparring session nearby, while Kira watched from the sidelines, waiting for the Commander's arrival.

"I'm here," Alex said, attracting their attentions. Terrias cast him a concerned glance before returning his attention back to his mentor, while Kira stomped towards him avian hands balled at her side.

"'Bout time, you lazy bastard."

"Can't we take a break for awhile?" the Commander asked, "I have a bloody headache from hell."

"Oh for fuck's sake!" Kira exclaimed, scoffing as she returned to the cavern, leaving Alex alone outside. Confused, the Commander looked back to where Terrias and Avery were trading blows, unsure of whether or not he should follow her or stay out here. He chose the latter, making himself comfortable and watching the other pair duke it out with each other. Avery proved to be a very capable fighter, patient and an excellent teacher, while the servine himself was picking up on what she was teaching incredibly well. Alex also noticed a certain light in their eyes, a way they looked at each other…their mutual crushes upon each other was undeniable, and for some reason this sickened the Commander, even if he had no room to talk given his _own_ polygamous way of living…even if he had been becoming increasingly monogamous with Ruby.

He frowned, thoughts of the dolphin recalling the dream he had experienced the previous night. Deitus was playing with his emotions, mocking him, making him suffer while the archdemon himself didn't seem very hurried to hunt down and slay his family, like he so claimed. For a moment, Alex pondered telling Kira of what was going on…as much of an ass she was, she might be able to help him overcome his problems if he could prove that it would benefit her. He eventually rejected this idea after toying around with it for a few minutes, he didn't even want to bring up the subject with Terrias—his best friend and closest confidant—let alone with the girl who was hellbent on plaguing his life with continuing sorrow and pain.

At last, Kira returned, holding a small cup. "Hey, stupid!" she exclaimed, and Alex barely had time to face her before she shoved the tiny piece of homemade pottery into his chest, "Drink this and shut up."

While the harpy returned to where her spear lay, sticking out of the ground, to reclaim it and prepare to continue their session. Alex took a curious look at the drink before sniffing it.

"It's not poisonous if that's what you're worried about," Kira scowled, "You're no use to me dead."

"What is this?"

" _Engalga_ , a traditional tea that gets rid of headaches and shit, drink it and stop bitching."

Reluctantly, the Commander did, surprised to find that it wasn't unpleasant. It tasted faintly of mint, and was very sweet. As soon as the warm liquid had slid down his throat to settle in his gut, a queer warmth spread throughout his body, and the pressure in his head eased considerably, becoming much more bearable.

"Better now?"

Alex nodded.

"Good, now go grab your fucking spear and let's get back to this. Getting real tired of all the delaying."

Several hours—and countless bruises—later, the sun finally began to sink to the west, casting the desert in a gorgeous purple hue. Kira called an end to the session, saying, "All right, that's enough, it's getting late and I don't want you to get used to wielding that piece of polished shit."

"Kira, I can't make these things," he scoffed, "Where you've had years of experience, I haven't had more than a fucking month."

"Point is? And you call me 'Master', remember?"

"I DON'T GIVE A CRAP!" Alex hissed, "Point is, you can't expect me to make a perfect spear!"

"I showed you how to do it," she replied, eyes narrowed.

"It's gonna take a helluva lot more than one session to teach something like this, but you wouldn't know, would you? After all, you've had years of experience. Ask me to craft a sword? I can do it, but you said so yourself, a sword is _nothing_ like a spear."

"What do swords have to do with anything!?"

"I'm trying to explain that I will never meet your standards while they're so fucking high!"

"First of all, dumbass, never say _never_! If you will actually take the time to _practice_ , and you _KEEP FUCKING PRACTICING_ , then perhaps you might actually manage to make something you can _fight_ with, instead of some piece of shit that I can literally do this to!" here she tore his spear from his hands, shattering it across her knee and throwing the pieces out into the desert.

"What am I supposed to do!? I don't know what the hell I'm doing!"

"Why not?"

"BECAUSE YOU NEVER TAUGHT ME!"

"I'M TEACHING YOU RIGHT NOW, YOU FUCKING MORON! It's not _my_ fault that you can't get it through your thick, _fucking_ skull! You said you were smart, that you could keep up with no problem, did you not? So why did you fucking lie? That's what _I'm_ so pissed off about! You lied to me!"

"Maybe because you intimidate the bloody hell out of me!?" Alex exclaimed, fuming, "You're a _bitch_! Probably one of the absolute _worst_ fucking people I've ever had the displeasure of dealing with, and trust me honey, that's saying a fucking _lot_. I've dealt with a lot of nasty people in my lifetime, but you are easily one of the _worst_! Every day you bring me out here, you beat me, you enslave me, you treat me like shit…is this _really_ how you get your rocks off? Are you really so sad and sorrowful a person that you have to take out your unhappiness on others? Are you really so unhappy that you have to be a bully? I'm sorry about what happened to your sister, I really am, but you don't have to be a big _dick_ to me because of it! I'm not her murderer! ALL HUMANS ARE NOT EVIL! Don't blame _every_ human being you meet and treat them like they're some kind of monster just because you encountered one of the bad ones. How would _you_ feel if I stereotyped your entire kind based on just _your_ personality, hmm? How would you feel if I called out your entire _fucking_ race as a group of sexist, misandrist, Amazonian _bitches_ just because _you_ happen to have a grudge against humanity?

"Believe it or not, _Kira_ , not every human being is a monster! I've made a lot of mistakes in my lifetime, true, and perhaps I do deserve to be put in place _to some degree_ …but you shouldn't bundle the entire fuckin' human race into one specific category just because of what happened to your sister! It's not gonna do any justice to her, and it sure as _all hell_ ain't gonna bring her back from the dead! I did absolutely _nothing_ to you to deserve to be treated this way, and quite frankly, I'm getting tired of it. Do you know that I'm afraid to wake up in the mornings anymore? I _dread_ every fucking day of my life now, and I've actually considered suicide for the first time in a _long_ time, because my life sucks in every fucking corner. My sleep is haunted by my memories, it's haunted by the love of my _fucking_ life, who I'll probably never see again, and my waking hours are haunted by a fear of _you_ , a fear of the shit you do. I hope that makes you feel proud of yourself! If wanting to be _feared_ , to be so _hated_ and _despised_ is what you wanted, then you did a damn fine job of doing that, and I hope you're happy with yourself, I really do. So you know what?" he threw his arms out before him, "You win, you fucking _bitch_ , I surrender! I capitulate! So would you kindly _FUCK OFF_!? I don't _want_ your advice! I don't _want_ your mentorship! And I sure as _all hell_ don't want your _FUCKING WRATH_!"

Without another word, believing he had said all that needed to be said, Alex stormed off, picking up a rock and launching it at her before disappearing inside of the den. Kira herself remained in place, silent and wearing an oddly blank expression. Although it was obvious that she was fuming and angry, there was something else in there as well, hurt and offense. "He's right you know," Terrias said, attracting the harpy's—who was clearly struggling to control her emotions—attention, "You are one of the worst people we've ever dealt with…you're not _the_ worst, but you're pretty damn close. We've been through a _hell_ of a lot more than you assume we have…we've lost people we've cared about, too. Hell, every year we lose about two or three of the people we care about…our family…and now that we can't go home, now that we're stuck here, we've lost everyone else as well, _including_ our loved ones. I understand that you may be just trying to keep the pride and culture of your kind intact in a highly corruptible world…for that I don't blame you…but we're not any harm to you or your family, so _please_ just leave us be."

Kira scowled towards him, "Don't involve yourself in things that you have _nothing_ to do with, things that you do not understand."

"Same could be said about you," Terrias replied, grinning coldly, "There's things going on with him—with us both—that you don't know or understand. There are things that we're fighting, personal demons, that we struggle with on a daily basis…you understand that, right? Treating us like we're outcasts, like we're idiots, isn't helping us, it's not making us _better_ at being one of you, it's just making things _worse_ than they already are. So please, just _stop_ ," and with this, Terrias, too, disappeared inside of the cave.

Avery turned to face Kira, worried for her friend, but the harpy remained silent and stoic. Hesitantly, the younger harpy asked, "Kira…?"

"Why did you make that spear for him?"

"You know very well why I did, Kira, the same reason why we always do."

"He's not one of us."

"He might as well be…Elder Amery believes him as family. Same with Alex. In fact, there's talk that the Matriarch herself is considering inviting them to participate in the Proving…if so, they'll be the first outsiders to do that in generations."

"She doesn't even _know_ them! She's never even _met_ them!"

"No, but their determination, their respect for us, speaks wonders…plus the fact that they're the reincarnations of the _Old Regime_. If Messoremel is here, then _Avias_ must be as well! The prophecies are coming true!"

"Avias was never a part of the _Old Regime_."

"Yes she was, or did you forget the weekend lessons from when we were younglings? The songs about the noble _Old Regime_ and how Avias was one of the few outsiders that the Archreaper allowed into his ranks?"

"I remember them all-too-clearly," Kira replied grimly, "But I don't think Avias is here. The prophecies said _nothing_ about her return…and she wasn't with the rest of the _Old Regime_ when they were sacrificed for Vitamel's sins."

"Then why else would Fate bring Messoremel here? There must be _some_ reason for it, right? You and I _both_ know that Destiny isn't random, that there is a reason for every little thing."

"And who here could possibly _be_ Avias then, hmm? Nobody here is even _like_ what the old stories said!"

Avery grinned widely and mischievously, "Well, Avias and the Princess share a lot of the same traits…"

Bitterly, Kira turned to face the younger harpy, wearing an expression of pure fury, "How dare you say such a blasphemous thing!"

"Does he even know?"

"Why should he? Like I said, he isn't one of us… _neither_ of them are."

"So they've been living under a lie? Who's the _real_ liar here?"

"I'm not a liar," Kira replied, "I am merely protecting the safety of my tribe. He is told what he needs to know, _when_ he needs to know, and until the Matriarch herself seeks council with those outsiders, I will say _nothing_ about it."

"And what if the Matriarch decides to bring her daughter and Messoremel's reincarnation together? What if she orders Messoremel to be the heir to the throne? It is undeniable that Alex _is_ Messoremel incarnate, and the prophecy says that Messoremel will be reunited with the _Old Regime_ in the end of days. Surely, that means that Avias is here, too. The Elders can see that, the _Matriarch_ can see that, and I wouldn't doubt that once they know for certain that both Messoremel _and_ Avias are here, _all_ of them will call that Avias and Messoremel be mated again."

"If it comes down to that, then I will happily put that boy into the ground myself!" Kira twirled her blade, heading back into the cool darkness of the cave, just as the sun finally disappeared beneath the horizon.

Avery couldn't help but to grin, tittering to herself, "Oh, Kira…would you _really_?"


	31. Chapter XXX: Thin Ice

_**Chapter XXX**_ **:**

 **-''Thin Ice''-**

 **-New Alexandria, Montana-**

 **-** _ **09 March 2016**_ **-**

 **-** _ **2235 Hours**_ **-**

 _The blood...it calls to you, it sings to you, can you taste it?_

 _No...this isn't me! This isn't who I am!_

 _You're dead! You died long ago!_

 _I'm still alive! Alex is still alive! Leave me alone!_

 _You can't keep fighting it! You have been consumed! All it takes is a little touch, a little break, and you can finally see sweet, sweet relief._

 _I won't break!_

 _You already have!_

Piermont's emerald eyes blinked open, the city lights before him burning him. _What is happening to me..._ a tin, infantile voice spoke in the deepest corners of his numb mind, continuously tormented by grisly scenes of blood and gore, and an insatiable craving to kill that required every ounce of his strength to curb. Ever since he had lost contact with Alex, he had been struggling, resisting against the overwhelming urge to kill and maim. He was exhausted, resisting his primal urges what like dying of dehydration, but resisting the urge to drink from a fresh spring that flows past you. He squeezed his eyes shut against the headache, fighting it off. The light burned his eyes, it burned his head, he groaned in protest, the pain was overwhelming. _Kill me..._ he pleaded, _Please, someone KILL ME!_ _I can't keep fighting...I'm so tired...I just want to sleep..._

The dragon was weak, noticeably skeletal in appearance, his eyes sunken in his skull and he looked far from healthy. His scales, normally a brilliant, shining emerald, were dull and had been becoming increasingly duller as his health deteriorated. He looked very much like a walking corpse, he had stopped eating and drinking regularly, and he was dying slowly and miserably. No one understood the battle he was fighting, he couldn't even see the world normally anymore. Everywhere he looked, everything was saturated in blood and gore, it was a continuous hallucination that he had been having ever since he had snapped and accidentally gotten Rudolph killed the previous year. He had grown resistant to the grisly sight, and his feverish eyes turned to face the moon, painted as red as blood to his eyes. He couldn't even hear wind anymore, he just heard ghostly, disembodied whispers, pained moans and horrifying screams, the crying of women and children as they stood at Death's door.

He was broken beyond repair, he was trapped in an endless nightmare, and he couldn't wake up. Every day he literally trudged through his own, personal, literal Hell. He had purposely not told anyone about it, because despite what everyone thought, he didn't want to hurt them, he didn't want them to worry about him. He was broken, and he could not be fixed, he had accepted this fate...but he didn't want to weigh anyone down. Several times he had considered flying off somewhere, like an animal, aware that it's dying, crawling into a dark, isolated corner to die in peace...the only thing stopping him from crawling away until he eventually succumbed to the sweet release of death was the fear of hurting his brothers. They had too much going on in their lives right now, it was selfish to add the extra burden of his own slow death onto them, and this is why he kept to himself, why nobody knew what he was dealing with, and nobody would _ever_ know. He had locked down his mind long ago, shutting himself off telepathically from everyone else in the militia in order to protect them from his suffering, his pleading. It had been almost a year now since he had cut himself off from the rest of the unit, and still they had no idea what he was going through, he managed a smile, it was the least he could do for them.

He was dying, of this he was well aware, and there was nothing that could be done for him...he was too far gone to be saved, and he had accepted his fate already...he had made peace with himself. Despite being _very_ well aware of his biological clock ticking ever closer to zero, he fully intended to die quietly and silently...so that no one would be troubled by his pain, in addition to everything else they were dealing with. There was one thing that Piermont desired more than anything else, however...his rider. "Alex..." he whispered in a small, childlike voice, aware of the overwhelming loneliness he felt, "Please speak to me...I need to hear your voice...I'm blind now, nothing I experience is real anymore, everything is dark, everything is dead...I'm so alone, where are you? I need you..."

Tears welled in his eyes, and he missed seeing the beauty that the world once offered. When the hallucinations became constant and refused to let up, so grounded in reality that they were all he saw, he knew that his time was short. He was losing the battle for his sanity, as hard as he tried to fight, he had lost and was merely delaying the inevitable.

"Please, Alex..." he begged, "Where are you? Can you even hear me?" and he squeezed his eyes shut smacking his head repeatedly on the floor of the deck, "Wake up!" he whispered harshly, desperately, "WAKE UP! Wake up! None of this is real! You need to _WAKE UP!_ I...I...I don't want to die! I want to live!"

But it was too late, the damage was done.

 _Remember happiness_...

He was taken back to when he was a child: the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, there was so much beauty in the world, and every day he would wake up to see just how beautiful God had made the universe, just how beautiful Mother Nature had become. How he longed for those days, how he longed to see the sun on a warm, Summer day, instead of the everlasting darkness, the bloody and corpse-laden wasteland he now saw every waking second of his life. He remembered how he and Alex had bonded in their youth, their private, intimate sessions together, and he realized just how much he missed those days, now nothing more than a fading memory. If he could find Alex...would they be able to resume those private sessions? He wanted that more than anything, he wanted intimacy with his rider, he wanted touch, contact, he wanted to _feel_ his rider...for that was all he knew was real anymore, everything else was a lie. Every day his memories were fading into nothingness, the insatiable abyss that was ravaging his mind swallowed his memories whole, and every day he became more and more lost in the hellish world he lived. Even clinging onto his very identity was an ongoing battle, _he was forgetting his own name!_

"No..." he cried, "Please, God...it can't end like this! It can't end like this! Forgive me, God, forgive me for everything! I don't want to suffer! Not like this! Please wake me up from this endless nightmare!"

Behind him, Ruby stood just outside, watching the forest dragon curled into a small ball on the deck, rocking himself and pleading for mercy. The dolphin approached him, placing a comforting fin upon his side, and he stiffened.

"NO!" he exclaimed, voice hoarse and terrified, "Don't hurt me! Please!"

"Piermont..." Ruby said in a small voice, "What has happened to you?"

"Ruby...I'm sorry...!" he whispered in a pleading tone, "Forgive me! Please forgive me!"

"What _is_ happening to you?" she asked, gently petting his scarred flank. He craned his neck to face her, and she was stunned by just how childlike he looked. There was a crippling fear in his eyes, he was, perhaps, more terrified than anything else she had ever encountered.

"Don't leave me..." he whispered, "Promise me, you won't leave me!"

"I promise," the dolphin replied, aware that his eyes weren't responsive to the light, and he seemed to almost...look _through_ her.

"It's...so dark...so cold and lonely...I want...I want Alex..."

"What is happening to you?" Ruby asked again, and she was startled as Piermont grabbed her fin, picking himself up and putting his face in hers. His body was shaking, trembling uncontrollably, "I fucked up..." he said sadly, "Ruby...please promise me that you won't forget about me."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

He shook his head, "N...No...there isn't..."

"I can go fetch the others an..."

"NO!" he interrupted, "Please, I beg of you...despite all the things I've done to you, if there is _one_ favor you can do to me...don't tell _anyone_ about this...please."

"You're sick," she replied, "We might be able to help you!"

"No...you can't," he replied, "I'm dying...every day, another part of my body starts to shut down...and who knows how much longer I'll last...there is one other thing I ask of you, if you will hear me out."

"I'm listening."

"When I finally break...please, kill me quickly...I don't care how you do it, but kill me before I have a chance to hurt anyone, please..."

She shook her head, "What are you _talking_ about?"

"Ruby...I'm broken...and I can't be fixed. There will come a time when I won't be able to hold on any longer, when I finally snap. When that happens, it doesn't matter _what_ I say...but Piermont... _the_ Piermont, _I_ , am dead...when that monster takes over my body, I want you to kill it...please..."

She gently stroked his flank, attempting to soothe him.

"Promise me you will kill it."

Silence before, "I promise."

The dragon himself lowered his head, "Ruby...I'm sorry for everything...forgive me."

"I already have," she replied, hugging him tightly, "You'll be okay...I promise."

"Don't make a promise that can't be kept," he replied, "I can't be saved..." then he chuckled, although it was strained, "You know...when I first saw you...I knew that you and Alex were gonna end up together...there was just something _about_ you two. I can tell you love him, and he loves you more than he could explain...overall, you two made excellent choices, you deserve to be happy. Maybe I was just...an asshole because I was jealous...we used to be so close, but as time passed, we started to grow apart...I never meant to hurt you...and I'm sorry."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Stay here with me...at least for a little while."

"Why haven't you told anyone about this?"

"Because I'm reaping what I sowed...this is nobody's problem but my own...and I don't need to further divide our family by bearing them down with my own problems...there is much more important things out there...this is my own fault, my own cross to carry. I just...I wish Alex was here, he was...he always has a way of making me feel better, of calming me when I was afraid. What an ironic punishment, in my most vulnerable, he's nowhere to be found..." a fresh wave of tears began to flood down from his eyes, "I was an ass...and this is what I get...this is my punishment. Every day, more and more of my memories fade into the darkness, every day, more and more of myself withers away into nothing...I don't know how much longer it'll be before Piermont finally dies...to become the monster that I'm slowly becoming...but it's close..." he buried his head in Ruby's chest, nuzzling her, "I'm so scared...I want Alex..."

"I'm here for you," she replied, "And I won't leave your side."

"You really are a good person...pure at heart, we could have been such good friends..."

"It's not too late," she replied with a smile, "As long as you live, there is always a chance to build something special."

He fell silent then, becoming unresponsive. When the dolphin tried to rouse him and found that she couldn't, she began to panic. Quickly, she checked his vitals, relieved when she could make out his heartbeat, and she could hear his slow, steady breathing...he was merely sleeping deeply. She remained by his side for the duration of that night, gently petting his side and belly, stroking the base of his horns, what she had seen Alex do many times before, all while trying to find ways to transfer relaxing and pleasant memories and dreams into his fractured mind. While doing this, she learned things about him that she never expected to, she learned the truth of his personality, of his fears, his likes and dislikes, she collected as many memories of his as she could to ensure that they were preserved finding herself stumbling upon ones where he and Alex were bonding together, surprising her with just how sexually charged they were. As strange as it was, and it touched her heart deeply, but while Alex relieved his dragon's sexual tension, he looked happier than she had ever seen before. During these little moments of intimacy, and even during other, non-sexual moments of close, intimate contact between Alex and Piermont, both of them were happier than they had ever been. Their relationship was surprisingly deep, surprisingly personal, and there was a mutual love that they both felt for one another. Saddened by seeing just how far this angel had fallen, she continued to pet his side, examining the many, _many_ scars across his body, so many battles, so many wars he had seen...he was a war hero, and yet here was, withering away into nothing.

When at last he had awoken from his slumber, the sun was shining brightly in the sky above, and Ruby stirred, having fallen asleep using his side as a pillow. "You didn't leave me..." he said, in awe.

"I told you I was going to stay here with you...I keep my promises."

He smiled, "You're a much better person than I."

"You and Alex were sexually involved?" she suddenly asked.

He frowned again, that look of longing and loneliness overtaking him once more, "A long, _long_ time ago...though there wasn't any really sexual interest in it...we found many ways to bond, that happened to be an efficient one for both of us..." then, a look of horror dawned on his face, "Do you think...do you think _I'm_ the reason that his sexuality is so warped?"

She shook her head, "No...I think there was much more to it...I can tell that there wasn't any sexual interest in what he did to you...he saw it as an act of love instead of an act of pleasure...you mean a lot to him."

"Can I tell you something?"

"Of course."

"And promise you won't tell anyone else?"

"I promise."

He frowned, "I regret...stopping it. After he accidentally brushed Kiara and found he was attracted to that kind of contact...I got scared, I was afraid that he would try to become...attracted...to me, that he might try to ride me. I wish we still kept up on it...maybe we would have been closer and the Reapers wouldn't have been able to separate us so easily...maybe then I wouldn't be in this pitiful state."

Silence for several moments before Ruby asked, "Is there something I can do?"

He smiled sadly, "I don't think there's anything you _can_ do, Ruby. I'm basically sterile anymore, even _Cherub_ and I haven't been able to properly enjoy each other like we used to..." the dolphin examined his body, primarily the base of his tail and lower belly, where his genital slit was just barely visible.

"Do you want me to try?"

"I'm not Alex," he replied, although he didn't say this negatively, "He expects you to stay loyal to him. Plus, I don't deserve such things after the way I've treated you."

"You said so yourself, there's no sexual interest in it...it's merely a way to bond."

He chuckled, "If you're horny, then just say so, don't be beating around the bush."

"I'm not," she replied, "Will it help you? Or at least, will it ease your suffering? If you imagine, say, that I'm Alex?"

He said nothing in response, and for several moments they only sat awkwardly in place. However, the dragon suddenly shifted positions, scooting himself closer to her. She glanced down, noticing that he had positioned himself so that his genital slit was within reach of her, "You do what you want to," he replied, "If you want to try it, go ahead. If not, that's fine, too."

She nodded, "Close your eyes..." he chuckled sadly, but complied nevertheless, and the dolphin gently brushed the folds, finding them incredibly warm to the touch. She occasionally slipped her fin inside, feeling the hard bulge of his penis tucked neatly away within. Unable to believe what she was doing, she cast him another glance before stroking the area, coaxing his smooth, pink, eel-like penis out from within its sheathe. She was surprised at its length, even in a non-erect state, it was much longer than a dolphin's, completely destroying her initial plan to ride him. She, instead, gently brushed and stroked its length, casting glances towards the dragon to ensure that he was still fine with what she was doing. She hurt for him, pitying his suffering, and truly hoped that taking him back to a time when he was happier would put him at ease, at least somewhat. After several minutes, his length hardened and heated in her grasp, and she continued her administrations, curiously observing as he slightly spread his rear legs apart, subtly thrusting into her.

"Alex..." he whined beneath his breath, and one glance towards his face showed that he was pained, saddened. An idea coming to mind, she gently placed her free fin against his face, closing her eyes and connecting their minds together, ignoring the electric jolt that shot through them and his protests. He pulled one of the memories she had collected from the dragon the previous night, impressing that upon him and mentally taking him back to that time. She blinked in surprise, realizing that she was no longer on the deck in New Alexandria, now she was in a private, isolated corner of a public park. Laying before her in almost the exact same position as he had been back in the present, was Piermont, only the dragon was much, _much_ younger, smaller, and less-scarred. He wore a big grin, and he said in a youthful voice, "You don't have to keep doing this for me, Alex."

Instantly, Ruby was aware that she was no longer in her body, she turned to face where she was grabbing his length, finding it much smaller now, and she wasn't in her own body anymore...she was seeing through Alex's eyes. Playing along with the hallucinated fantasy, which Piermont seemed fully engrossed in, she asked, "Do you wanna ride?"

His expression took on one of shock and surprise, "Pardon?"

"Do you want me to ride you?"

"Uh...won't that hurt you?"

"Nonsense," she replied, in Alex's voice, "Figured we'd experiment a little bit."

"If...if you want..." the dragon replied nervously, and as Ruby positioned herself until she was over him, she gently lowered herself onto him, startling him, "Wait...who the hell are _you_!?"

"It's me," the dolphin replied, "Ruby."

"Ruby...?" he asked, puzzled, until a sudden look of recognition appeared on his face, and he continued, "What the hell are you doing?"

"I've brought your mind back in time to a memory where you were happy," she replied.

"How the hell...?"

"You deserve some relief from your suffering," the dolphin continued, "That's what I'm going to give you..." and she continued the act until he finally climaxed. Ruby only smiled lovingly towards him, withdrawing from his mind and returning to the present day, she she lay at his side, her fin slick and sticky, laying in a puddle of milky-white fluids that surrounded his rapidly softening penis.

"You didn't have to do that..." Piermont said, "Why did you?"

"Because you're my friend," she replied, "And despite the things you've said and done, you don't deserve to suffer."

"Thank you..."

"I'm here for you, okay?" she gently pet his side again, "I'll make sure you aren't alone, I promise...and if there's anything you need...just ask me," she hugged him one final time before standing up, wiping off her paw and examining herself. As she had predicted, the act had succeeded in sufficiently arousing her, her _own_ genital slit was swollen open and wet with arousal, her belly blushed a brilliant crimson, but she ignored it. This wasn't about her, and it wasn't about seeking some quick, dirty pleasure, this was about easing the suffering of someone she genuinely cared about, someone she thought of as family, and she turned to face the dragon again, smiling gently. He had fallen asleep again, and his expression showed that she had succeeded in giving him some relief, he was sleeping soundly, and looked to be sleeping easier than he had in a _long_ time. "I'll always be here for you, Piermont," she whispered before disappearing back inside of the house, "Just like I'll always be here for _everyone_ in Alpha Company, for you are _all_ my family."

An ear-splitting scream from within his nightmares awoke the Martaanean forest dragon, who quickly shot up, looking around him anxiously. When he realized that it was the nightmare that had awakened him and not an actual, physical threat, he slumped over once again, trying to shut out the screams echoing inside of his head, the moans of pain, the disembodied whispers being carried in the wind, and the blood that he perceived covered the world. He suffered from a cruel punishment that he wouldn't even wish on his worst enemy. He did see one small beacon of hope, however, one beacon of light that punctured the all-encompassing darkness...he remembered what Ruby had done for him, and he remembered the promise she had made him...this settled his heart, at least to some degree. Every second, he was losing more and more of himself, and he wondered how long it would be before the last piece of his personality winked out like a light.

 _Oh you sad, sorry motherfucker_ , a demonic voice chuckled, reverberating through his mind and putting him on high alert, _Pick yourself up and stop being such a bitch. Aren't you supposed to be tougher than this?_

"Leave me alone..." he said, "You're not real..."

 _Hey! I take offense to that! It's been awhile since I last walked in this dimension, but I_ am _most_ definitely _alive...I think...maybe, I dunno. Probably not._

"Deitus!?" Piermont asked in horror.

 _Nathaniel!?_ the demon replied, chuckling deeply, _Oh, that's right, you don't go by that anymore, do you? Ya know, you_ were _always my favorite._

"What do you want from me!?"

 _Same that I want from all of my dear ol' daddy's friends, I want closure and compensation for the bullshit y'all pulled on me way back when. I'll let_ you _choose the terms of repayment, mainly 'cause I like you so much. You were always the nicest one to me, Nathaniel._

"Do it..." he scowled, "Finish me off! I'm dead anyway!"

 _Oh my friend, you still have plenty of life left in you_ , and he broke out into wild laughter, his voice echoing around the corridors of the dragon's mind, drowning out his thoughts. As soon as the demon faded away, the world rumbled and quaked around the dragon, and he, for a brief few moments, wondered whether he was just hallucinating again. How was he so sure that his whole encounter with Ruby wasn't just a hallucination? Nothing seemed real anymore.

Up ahead, a flash illuminated the sky, and he shielded his eye as a blinding white light rocketed down from the skies, crashing into the ground with a thunderous bang. Although he felt like he should be worried, he found that he was numb, that he felt nothing, and he merely watched as the light grew larger and larger. Several more Minor Beams opened up throughout the city, and car alarms and sirens mixed with the frantic cries of citizens.

"Piermont!" Cherub exclaimed, running out onto the balcony and shaking his shoulder, "It's _Filios Diaboli_! C'mon! We need to go fight them off!"

The dragon remained unresponsive, and he only smirked, believing that he was merely hallucinating again.

"Damn it, Piermont! Let's go! Stop being so fucking lazy! We need your help!"

He merely turned to face her, chuckling to himself, "There's nothing to worry about, honey, it's not real."

She scoffed, backstepping away from him and shaking her head, "What the hell happened to you?" then, furiously, "You know what, that's fine. If you wanna stay here by yourself, you do that...but I don't want you to come looking for me, since you enjoy being by yourself so much..." and lowering her eyes with sadness, she turned and rocketed off the balcony, taking to the wing and flapping towards the immense beam that had roughly opened up in Town Center. Piermont only remained standing in place, wearing a blank smile, waiting for the fantasy to pass.

"Piermont!" a firm, strained voice exclaimed, and a small purple blur raced past his eyes, landing beside him, "What the fuck do you think you're doing, man!?" Spyro exclaimed, "Let's go! _LET'S GO!_ " and when he didn't respond, " _Are you even listening!?_ "

"Why are you so worried?" he chuckled, "It's just a bad dream...it'll pass."

"You've lost your fucking mind, haven't you?" with a scoff and a shake of the head, Spyro said, "You know, I used to look up to you, I use to admire you...but now you're a pitiful, sorrowful being...what happened to you?" although the dragon took off immediately afterward, without waiting for an answer.

 _Yes..._ Deitus whispered to him, _This is all just a bad dream...but can you wake up from it?_

From out of the cloudless, clear blue skies, purple lightning struck around the beam in rapid succession, and in another blinding flash accompanying another thunderous boom, several dark, purple spheres opened around the beam, through which slick, black, worm-like tentacles squirmed and poked, stretching over the city. Another, much larger sphere opened up directly inside of the beam, and a grotesque beast crawled through. He resembled a massive, crimson-skinned satyr, with dark red-brown fur on his legs, piercing, glowing orange eyes, and a crown of ivory horns upon his head, protruding from his long, black hair. From a rotting wound upon his back, hundreds of tentacles writhed and squirmed, and the Lifehunter emerged over the city, speaking with a powerful, booming voice that could be heard from miles, "Bow down to your _new_ master!" he laughed, "I'm gonna have _fun_ with you!"

Upon Deitus' emergence into the city, purple vortexes now opening all throughout to provide portals for more of those oily tentacles to poke through, Piermont's paralysis broke and he took to the skies. For a few minutes, a few, sweet minutes, clarity returned to his vision, and the bloodsoaked wasteland winked out to reveal a sunlit city, rapidly darkening from unnatural clouds rolling over...and at the center of town, arms raised to the sky, a giant satyr hovered, cackling wildly.

"DEITUS!" Piermont roared, charging into the creature's chest and knocking him out of his y-shaped pose.

"Nathaniel!" he laughed, "It is good to see you, my friend! I almost didn't recognize you through all those scales."

Other members of the Commander's Wing were now flying by, spewing fire down upon the archdemon who merely shrugged off their attacks, flicking them away. The beast lowered his hover until he was on the ground, standing as tall as a ten story building.

"Greetings, my mortal pets! Your master has returned!"

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Piermont hissed, making another charge towards the towering satyr.

"Oh Nathaniel, you are such a clown," and he flicked the Martaanean Forest Dragon out of the sky, sending him spiraling into a harsh, painful landing atop a nearby roof, "Citizens of Earth! I am not looking to bring you any undo harm! I am merely looking for the ones you call 'Alpha Company'! Bring them to me and I will leave you to your devices!"

With a roar, Cherub emerged from behind the satyr, opening her golden maw to spew white fire down upon his tentacles. He hissed in pain, bowing over as his tentacles writhed in a frenzy, emitting a hissing-like screech upon the contact before rapidly pulling back into his body.

"Ow!" he exclaimed, "That's rude!"

Cherub turned to make another pass, but he sidestepped out of the way, dodging each consecutive charge she did until he seemed to grow impatient with her. Seemingly bored, he merely plucked the she-dragon from the sky, holding her tightly in the palm of his massive hand, as large as her entire body.

"Now who I this, may I ask?" he queried, squinting to examine the field dragon, She opened her maw once again, spitting fire into his face before trying to wriggle free from his grasp, "You _BITCH!_ " he exclaimed angrily, throwing her into the ground and rubbing the smoke from his eyes, "I'm getting _really_ tired of your bullshit!"

"Go to hell!" the dazed she-dragon managed, picking herself up off the ground.

"Oh honey, I've been there, and may I say it's one _Hell_ of a vacation spot! Why, it's warm year round!" and he laughed at his pun, batting away the attacking Commander's Wing as if they were little more than flies swarming around his head. He instantly sobered, that humored tone rapidly evolving into one of malice and bitter resentment, "Enough games, now where are the rest of your friends?" he picked her up again, this time addressing the entire city, "Bring me Vitamel and Messoremel and I will spare your puny little lives! Resist me, and I'll have the joy of sucking every single one of you sorrow little insects dry!"

"Even if they _were_ here," Cherub snapped, squirming to break free again, "I still wouldn't tell you, disgusting little motherfucker!"

"HOW DARE YOU!" Deitus roared, throwing her into the building directly in front of him, "I'm tired of your little games! Tell me what I want to know, or I _WILL_ kill you!"

"Kiss my scaly ass!" Cherub hissed back.

Deitus recoiled in surprise, his mood taking on an eerily calm and cool tone, "Oh, you spicy, spicy girl. Didn't your mother tell you not to use such vulgar language?" and without another word, one of the tentacles squirming around behind him dove beneath his arm, driving right through her chest and impaling in a cloud of red. She cried out in shock, mouth agape, eyes wide with fear, struggling to breathe. The tentacle retreated back until the dragon was directly before the Lifehunter's hellish eyes, "If only you would have played nicely..." and the she-dragon screamed as both she and Deitus began to glow blue, as if they were healing.

Piermont, slowly recuperating from the painful blow he had been dealt watched in absolute horror as Cherub's scales lost their shine, dulling considerably. She immediately became thinner and thinner, almost skeletal in appearance until, with a final, pained cry, she disintegrated into ash, falling through the archdemon's paw and raining down to the ground like snow.

" _CHERUB!_ " the emerald dragon exclaimed, eyes wide with shock and horror...and then he felt it. Something snapped within him, and all of a sudden, he felt numb. His mind went dark, going silent, and he was at last greeted with complete peace. The blood didn't return, but the world's saturation of color dulled until it was almost black and white, and the forest dragon only smiled, he was at peace. No more did he hear the cries, the haunting whispers, his mind, his body, everything was numb. His rage boiled over considerably and he leaped into the sky, roaring as he rocketed towards the demon, ripping through the beast's chest.

Deitus stumbled to the ground, hissing, "You son of a bitch!" he turned to face the dragon again, but Piermont was much too quick for him, and like before, the Martaanean Forest Dragon drilled his body through Deitus', doing this several more times. Eventually, the archdemon manage to swipe him out of the sky and into a building yet again. Black, smoky blood pouring from the multiple wounds throughout his body, the demon hissed, "I've had enough of you! I was going to go easy on you, but remember this, you damned yourselves now! I _will_ return, and when I do? I won't stop until every last one of you is a pile of ash on the ground!"

With this said, his body shimmered and disintegrated into mist, rapidly pulling back into the vortex behind him. As soon as he had vanished within, it snapped shut. The tentacles protruding from the other portals rapidly pulled back in as well before all of the vortexes snapped shut, and a single Lesser Breaker rocketed out from the central Beam. This creature was quickly dispatched by Nick, and following the creature's death, the Beam shrank into oblivion, casting the world in an eerie silence.

Alpha Company rapidly rushed to where Piermont lay collapsed on the ground, Ruby at the unit's helm. "Piermont!" she exclaimed, "Oh God! Are you okay?"

Upon touching his still body, the dragon's muscles tensed and his eyes snapped open, the sight of which horrified the dolphin. Something was different about him, something had changed. He showed no emotion, he said nothing, and his heartbeat was as calm as ever. Cherub's ashes stuck to his body, glued on by Deitus' black, oily blood, but he didn't seem to care or even realize this.

"Pierre..." Spyro began, shoving Ruby away to tend to the dragon. Piermont didn't even seem to realize the purple dragon was there, he just stood in place, staring blankly at the world ahead of him, unresponsive to anyone else, as if he was frozen in time.

Sapphire helped Ruby to her feet, hugging the stunned dolphin tightly. Lucy and Rocket ran up to her, standing beside her and staring towards the forest dragon. Spyro tried to get the Martaanean dragon to acknowledge him, but to no avail.

Tearing up again, Ruby exchanged saddened glances with the others of Alpha Company, in shock at Cherub's loss. Starting to cry, she buried her head in Sapphire's belly, the bull simply cradling her and gently stroking her side with one fin.

"This is bad..." Spyro said in a small voice, in shock himself. His jaw had dropped and he seemed unable to close his mouth again, "I...I...I need to sit down, and he began to walk away before, rotating on his paws unsteadily, he fell to the ground, unconscious. Piermont remained sitting in place, expression blank, ash continuing to rain down on him from the sky.

 _You have broken...and you can't be fixed. It is over, you have lost._


	32. Chapter XXXI: The Spirit of the Warrior

_**Chapter XXXI**_ **:**

 **-''The Spirit of the Warrior''-**

 **-Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico-**

 **- _12 March 2016_ -**

 **- _0113 Hours_ -**

Alex lay awake in bed, unable to sleep. He hadn't seen Kira since his explosive outburst against her, and he began to regret it. He felt guilty, even though he knew that it was only a matter of time before she pushed him to his absolute limit. When sleep _still_ failed to reach him, he quietly slithered out of bed, sneaking out of the room and sneaking outside into the bitterly cold desert. He collapsed onto the ground, crossing his legs and leaning back against the cliffside, staring off into the distance, the endless sands illuminated by the starry skies and the full moon above.

"We aren't going to go chase after your sorry ass if you leave," a voice spoke behind him, and Alex craned his neck to see Kira standing there, "So if you hate it here so badly, go, get out of here. When we found you, you were half dead, we _saved_ your fucking _life_ , but if you think you can survive out there on your own, then go."

"I'm not leaving," Alex replied.

Kira scoffed, "That' surprising."

"I'm sorry about what I said."

"I don't wanna hear it," she snapped, "Save your bullshit for someone who actually cares. Sorry for actually trying to _help_ your sorry ass. You know what? On second thought, why don't you just get out of here, I don't wanna see your face around here again."

"I lost control," he replied, flexing his bionic arm, "I was angry, humiliated, tired of the abuse and I...I just snapped."

"I don't fucking care," she replied, "You said your piece, you said how you feel, so fine. I'm done dealing with you, but Deitus _will_ tear you to pieces."

"I want to learn."

"Well, you sure fucked that opportunity up, didn't you? I'm done, do whatever the hell you want, I legitimately don't fucking care anymore."

"Can't you just _accept_ my apology?"

"And why should I? Hell, why do you want to? I thought you said I was a big bully who got her rocks off by torturing your pathetic, wimpy ass. You made that _quite_ clear in your little rant."

"I've been under a lot of stress lately, between this whole thing with Deitus...being a fugitive...and the fact that I lost the love of my life—possibly forever—it wasn't meant to be a personal attack on you."

"Coulda fooled me."

"Listen, I don't want to leave...I'm glad that you guys have accepted us in here, and I don't want to just...leave. It's not fair to you after everything you've done for us."

"Go back to your fucking girlfriend, go back to you past life, go back to whatever it is you were at before. You aren't happy here, and you _don't_ belong here."

"Please understand..."

"No, I'm done. I've washed my hands of all of this shit, you're on your own, jackass," and she turned to walk away.

Alex stood up, turning to face her and calling, "Kira!"

She paused in her tracks, straightening and merely turning her neck to face him, "What?"

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah?" she replied bitterly, "So am I, now goodbye," and she finally disappeared inside the den, leaving Alex alone. With a sigh, he laid back down again, rubbing his temples.

The next morning, Alex slowly trudged out into the common room, where breakfast was already prepared and waiting for them. Taking a seat beside Terrias, the servine asked, "You okay?"

"Just fine..." Alex replied, "Still feel like shit for what happened between Kira and I."

"Well...you did kinda lose control for a bit."

"Yeah, thanks, you're the best, bro."

"You kinda hurt her feelings, I think."

"Good, she needed a rough awakening...but I still feel bad."

They both looked up to see Kira and her party enter the cavern, carrying the morning's fresh hunt to be skinned and cooked. Once she had placed the animal on a table, she straightened, her eyes briefly meeting the Commander's, full of distrust and...faintly...of injury before she continued on, heading back outside.

"Did you at least try to apologize?" Terrias asked once she had left.

"Tried...she wouldn't have it. I think I screwed the pooch on this one."

"Nice job breaking it, hero."

"Bite me."

Once Alex and Terrias had finished eating, they helped the others wash the dishes before heading off into the spring to wash up. Following this, they both stepped out into the open common room, now empty, and stood in place, trying to figure out what to do next. Eventually, Terrias left to meet Avery for their usual training sessions, and Alex found himself in the den, alone. He resorted to stepping outside into the hot day to observe the sparring sessions between his friend and the harpy, once more regretting his outburst. An hour or two later, Avery called for a break, and the two disappeared back into the den together, leaving Alex alone outside, sitting cross-legged in the shade of a boulder.

After several minutes, he decided to grab a branch he found lying around, finding and grabbing a piece of flint and some long grass, returning to his spot in the shade. For several minutes, he stared at the gathered supplies laying strewn out before him, trying to recall what Kira had showed him. Perhaps if he showed her that he had made a spear, completely without her command, he could convince her that he was still interested in training. After several hours of strenuous, meticulous work and countless swears, along with a disorienting migraine, the Commander finally examined his newly-crafted weapon, satisfied by what he had achieved. He then returned into the den, searching for any sign of Kira.

He finally found the harpy in the bedroom that he and Terrias shared with her, Avery, and Amery. She was laying inside of the crevice opening outside, staring out into the desert beyond. "Kira..." he asked hesitantly, attracting her attention.

She sighed, turning to face him, and bitterly asking, "What do you want?"

He produced the spear, handing it to her, "Will you train me?"

She scoffed, shaking her head, "You're a persistent son of a bitch aren't you?"

"I fucked up, I acknowledge that...but I want to be trained, and you're the best one to teach me."

"Flattery ain't gonna get you nowhere, dumbass," she replied, but nevertheless she took the weapon, examining it carefully. He stood in place, nervous to how she would think about it before, handing it back to him, she said, "You're getting better...but it's still flimsy and too unbalanced, it won't last five minutes in real combat."

"So what do you suggest I do then?"

Silence hanged between them for several minutes, with Kira staring out into the desert, before the harpy turned to face him again, nodding towards him, "Follow me."

She led him throughout the cave system, guiding him into a small room where her hunting party stored their supplies. Moving aside the stack of spears, she pulled one out from the back, hidden beneath the pile, throwing it to him, "Try this on for size."

He tested its weight, finding that it was nearly perfect. The weapon itself was sturdy, crafted in a way that only Kira seemed capable of doing, and upon closer examination, he recognized it as the same one she had started back when she had showed him howto craft a spear seemingly so long ago. She had apparently finished the project, and he was amazed at its beauty. The shaft was as smooth as silk, stained with a deep, cherry dye, and had intricate designs and runes carved into its length, meticulously crafted so as to not take away from the weapon's aerodynamic capability. The head was a long, smoothly sharpened obsidian rock, its edges thick enough to make it strong and hard to break, but sharp enough to cut cleanly and easily, its angles as neat and perfect as if a machine had cut it. The butt of the weapon was adorned with two long, sleek, black feathers—pulled from Kira's wings—and tied onto it via a bright, hand-crafted, red-stained strand of thread.

"This...is beautiful."

"Practice with that on your own tonight," she said, "And I'll see you first thing tomorrow outside."

"Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just don't piss me off again, this is the last chance I'm giving you," and she walked away, returning to her perch in the other room.

That night, Alex and Terrias went to bed early, with the servine asking, upon noticing the spear, "Where'd that come from?"

"Kira gave it to me, managed to convince her to let me continue training."

"She _gave_ it to you?"

Yeah.

"Damn, does the stone-cold bitch actually have a heart somewhere down there?"

"Apparently," the Commander chuckled, "My charms are starting to rub off on her."

"Yeah...sure. We'll go with that..." then, "At least, _something_ is rubbing off on her," and the servine grinned widely.

"Oh fuck you," Alex replied bitterly.

"Can we? Was feeling kinda lonely anyway."

Alex only shook his head, "Goodnight, Terrias," he laid down.

"What? We're not? You asshole, why would you tease me like that?"

"Because I'm just that, Terrias, an asshole," and Alex curled into a ball, getting comfortable beneath the skins, his back to the servine.

Early that next morning, Alex was the first in the den to awaken, readying himself for the day and picking up the spear he had left leaning against the wall of the cave. He took a few seconds to admire it before leaving the room, walking across the commons and exiting out into the chilly desert, still having yet to be kissed by the first ray of sunlight.

"Wow, you're here early," Kira snorted, exiting the cave and leaning against the cliff wall, arms crossed at her chest.

"I'm ready for the lesson."

She smirked, picking up and twirling her spear, "You practiced with that thing?"

He nodded, "It works well."

"Course it does, dumbass. I know what I'm doing! Now, you ready to get your scrawny ass beat?"

"Bring it," Alex replied, popping his neck muscles and taking up a defensive stance, as taught to him in an earlier lesson by the harpy.

By the time the sun has risen and Terrias and Avery exited the cave to join Alex and Kira outside, Kira had begrudgingly allowed Alex to take a break to catch his breath after their intense sparring session. He had several new welts upon his body, given to him by the harpy, but she _also_ had several new injuries where Alex had managed to land a blow, even though she was not pleased by his rapid progress, "You get a decent spear and you think you're better than anyone else, huh?" she smirked, "Don't think so highly of yourself, jackass. You _still_ can't make one worth shit."

Alex chuckled, "It's a little different than using a blade, but not by much. Pretty easy to get use to once I can remember that I'm not wielding a sword."

"Yeah, yeah," she scoffed, "Spirit of the Warrior and shit, I don't care. I'm still better than you, dumbass."

"Love you, too."

"Fuck you."

"Bickering like an old married couple, huh?" Terrias asked with a laugh, "I thought that was supposed to happen _after_ the exchange of rings."

Kira glared at the servine, while Avery broke into giggles and Alex merely snarled.

"Anyway," Terrias continued, "Where'd you get that fancy spear? No offense but I don't think you're capable of something that nice."

"Got tired of his constant failure, fucking idiot," Kira replied, "So I did it for him."

Avery grinned widely, opening her mouth to say something before the harpy instantly put her spear's tip against her friend's mouth.

"Say one thing and you're dead!" Kira snarled.

Although she didn't speak, Avery broke down into wild laughter, while Kira glared at her, not amused. "And you yelled at _me_ for making a spear for Terrias!" Avery continued through her laughter.

"Except that Terrias actually knows what the fuck he's doing!" Kira replied bitterly, "This idiot here dunno his ass from his mouth. He wanted to keep training, but we weren't going nowhere at the rate he was fucking things up, so I decided to make an exception and get him a _good_ spear just so we could move on."

"Awfully fancy for just a plain old starting training spear," Avery grinned.

"You know I will make anything that isn't good quality," Kira replied firmly, puffing her chest, "Won't have a piece of shit stain my reputation like that."

"Yeah...okay, Kira, whatever you say."

"So," Terrias interrupted, "If you don't mind my asking...you think we'll ever have a chance to go on a hunt with you guys? Surely a helluva lot more interesting than standing around here."

"We're going on one later tonight," Avery answered, "You can come with us!"

"Is he ready?" Kira asked with a scowl.

Avery nodded abruptly, and Kira ordered the servine to prove himself. When he succeeded in meeting her standards, she agreed to let him tag along , with Avery then asking, "What about Alex? Can he come to?"

Kira glared at the Commander, "He ain't ready."

"I did what you asked and I even beat you!" Alex protested, his temper rising again.

"It was mediocre, but not great or even good. You'll still get us fucking killed, so no. You stay here."

" _MEDIOCRE?_ " but Alex bit down on his lip, controlling his temper.

"Another thing," the harpy smirked, "You have such a pitifully short fuse that you're too dangerous and unpredictable to take along. You can have fun helping Elder Amery prepare the vegetables...unless you fuck _that_ up, too."

Alex looked away, closing his eyes and pursing his lips, praying for patience.

"You can come with us, Terrias," Kira replied, "I hope you know what to do."

"Don't worry, shouldn't be too hard, right?"

"Hope your judgment is accurate, Avery."

"Of course!" the younger harpy protested, "I'm not stupid! I know what I'm talking about!"

"What the _FUCK_!?" Alex hissed, storming into the cave and stomping into the bedroom, sitting on his bed and rubbing his temples, "Fucking bullshit!"

"What is wrong, my child?" Amery began, walking over to him.

"It's Kira..." he grunted.

Amery took a seat beside him, "What has she done _this_ time?"

"There's no pleasing her! I just kicked her ass in our sparring session, right? I want to actually get out and about, wanted to join the hunt tonight. She says I'm 'too mediocre' to join in, but is more than willing to bring Terrias along. Why does she hate _me_ so much?"

"She gave you a second chance to train, I would hardly consider that hate, Child. In fact, you must have impressed her quite a lot for her to do such a thing...she isn't easily persuaded."

"Impressed my ass, what can I do to meet her standards?"

"You crafted that spear?" Amery asked, nodding towards the weapon laying strewn upon the floor, tossed aside by the Commander in his anger.

"No," he sighed, "Kira did," and this caused the old harpy to visibly recoil in alarm, "Guess she got tired of my constant failures, got impatient, decided to say 'fuck it' and continue on with the lesson."

" _She_ crafted that and gifted it to you?"

"Yes."

"Oh dear..."

"What?"

But Amery shook her head, "It is nothing you need to worry about...I don't believe that she despises you...don't let her get beneath your skin, you are doing an excellent job."

"She sure doesn't seem so."

"Ah, but I would beg to differ."

"How so?"

Amery smiled toothily, displaying that the old bird woman still had a lot of life in her, "Alas, it isn't my place to say...but I find that she would craft you a spear very intriguing."

"Why?"

"Well, that's not something that she—or any of us rather—would normally do outside of a certain set of circumstances, the likes of which you don't need to worry about at this time. I do not think she despises you as much as it seems. Bear with her, there are some things that she's fighting herself about, it has nothing to do with you, so do not worry," and Amery stood, "I am going to ready the bonfires...if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"Do you need help?"

She shook her head, "No, this old woman can take care of it, thank you for the offer, nevertheless."

For several minutes, Alex remained sitting in silence, head on his knees, staring towards the spear. He finally picked it up, twirling it, lost in thought. There was something Kira wasn't telling him...and he didn't realize it until Amery had brought the subject up. Now that he knew, he realized that she _had_ been acting differently as of late...was the spear perhaps a make-up gift for her mistreatment of him? She had toned down the insults it seemed...at least for now. He shook his head, however, she had been acting more aggressive and distracted for the past several weeks, he just hadn't noticed. What was going on in her head? And what did she know that she wouldn't tell him? Did she know something was up with the Deitus—with the outside world—that he didn't? He couldn't help but to feel like she was preparing him for something, with the gifted spear to advance their training, the second chance she had given him, and her determination to keep him away from the hunts while simultaneously training him to the point of exhaustion.

Just what exactly was going on inside of her head? What did she know?

" _Alex! Something bad has happened!" Ruby tells him, startling the Commander from his dreamless slumber. He awakens to find himself in the void, and Ruby's voice is frantic and frightened, "Cherub is dead! Piermont is going crazy! We need you! Where_ are _you!?"..._

...The Commander's eyes snapped open, and he, with a grunt, sat up in bed, stretching. The smell of freshly cooked meat and vegetables wafted throughout the cave, rousing him from exhaustion and guiding him into the commons. "Wondering what happened to you," Terrias said, sitting beside Avery at one of the tables, across from Kira, "Thought you ran away on us."

"I was sleeping," he replied, blinking against the warm light radiating from the bonfires, illuminating the comfortably warm chamber in an orange glow, "You guys are back already?"

"Already?" Kira snorted, "We've been gone for three hours, dumbass. Don't take _that_ long to find supper!"

"Kira, please mind the language," Amery replied, "Be nice."

The harpy only snorted in response.

Alex took a seat on Terrias' other side, nudging the servine's ribs and whispering, "I heard from Ruby again...I think."

"Again?" he started, "I thought we had lost all contact with Alpha?"

The Commander shrugged, "Ruby's been talking to me through my sleep...I think. She sounded frantic; said something about Cherub being killed and Piermont going crazy...should we consider heading back to New Alexandria?"

"And risk getting caught by the authorities and locked up again? Fuck that idea."

"Don't you wanna see Aria and your children again, mate?"

"Yes, I do...but I'm also smart enough to realize that heading back home is suicide."

"So you're just gonna pretend that our old lives never even existed...is that it?"

"Don't talk to me like I'm some narcissistic, self-righteous asshole," the servine replied bitterly, "If anything you should look in the mirror after how you treated Kira the other day."

"She pissed me off!"

"Yeah? So does Spyro, so does Piermont, so do _I_ sometimes, even! You gonna throw barbed comments and insults at _us_ , too?"

"Has Avery clouded your fucking senses? I'm not trying to start anything. Even then, Kira's a bitch! You've seen her in action!"

"Well the tone you used could have said otherwise."

"I was being sarcastic!"

"Didn't sound like it."

"For the love of...am I the only _sane_ one around here?"

"I dunno, you tell me? There's no way we can hear our comrades, we're disconnected from the mind bank, so either you're hearing voices, or you're bullshitting me."

"Or maybe Ruby actually _has_ somehow managed to find a way to talk to me!"

"Very unlikely...why hasn't anyone else made contact then, huh? I can name several people—without any bias whatsoever—who are as strong—if not stronger—than Ruby...why haven't _they_ come out yet? And why are they only talking to _you_?"

"What did Kira do?"

"What do you mean?"

"What did she tell you that convinced you to conspire against me...you _know_ something."

"I don't know anything more than you do," Terrias replied.

"You and Kira have been keeping secrets, haven't you?"

" _What_? What secrets could I _possibly_ keep? You know as much as I do, Alex! Quit being paranoid! You act like the entire world is out to get you."

" _BECAUSE IT IS_!" the Commander's outburst silenced the table and attracted the attention of everyone in the room. Lowering his voice to a whisper only loud enough for Terrias to hear once again, Alex repeated, "Because it is!What with Deitus hunting us down, Kira conspiring against me..."

Terrias chuckled, more out of pity than humor, "Alex...nobody is conspiring against you, _especially_ Kira. Why would she?"

"She knows something that she's not telling us!"

"What? How could you _possibly_ know that? What sign gave any indication that she's keeping secrets?"

"She's been acting strangely ever since I went off on her!"

"Well I would, too, if I was an unsuspecting bully that came face-to-face with the leashed wrath of Great Commander Alex Vaughn! You probably scared the shit out of her when you exploded! I'd be careful around you, too!"

"There's more to it than that!"

"How can you say that?"

"Think about it! Why else would she agree to continue training me, despite swearing to give no second chances? Why would she stop trying to make me craft my own spear and instead _make_ me one so we could continue on? She _knows_ something, and she's not telling us! That worries me!"

"You're paranoid."

"I'm probably the only _attentive_ person here!"

"Alex...we're safe here. No one is out to get us, _especially_ Kira. She probably ran out of patience...that happens, especially with people who are as fiery as she is. I'm actually surprised she put up with your...difficulties...for as long as she did. Not saying that to insult you, I am saying that she probably was ready to move on and stop doing the same thing over and over and _over_ again. She's not out to get you, _nobody_ is—well, except for Deitus—but he doesn't seem to know where we are. Stop being paranoid and just relax."

"But Kira...!"

"What about her? Lay off her, Alex, she's not plotting anything. Here's what happened, when you snapped on her, she got scared, now she's dancing carefully around you while simultaneously trying to maintain as much of her dignity as possible. There are no secrets she's keeping from you, why would she want to?"

"How can _you_ know! She doesn't trust you either!"

"Perhaps not, but she tells Avery _everything_ , and Avery would have told me if something was particularly bad."

"You _trust_ them?"

"Kira and the others are _helping_ us, they're not hindering us. They're taking care of us, giving us food, giving us shelter...they pulled our sorry asses out of that desert, they _saved_ our _lives_! And even if I don't trust Kira all that much herself, I _do_ trust Avery, she wouldn't lie.

" _They were going to sacrifice me and eat you!_ Besides, you hardly even _know_ her! Have you become so infatuated with her that you're blind to the truth here!?"

"Have you become so goddamn cynical and paranoid that you think the whole world is taking part in one great big, complex conspiracy to destroy Alex Vaughn?" Terrias snapped back, "Settle the hell down, and chill out!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I should be asking the same thing."

"One girl spreads her thighs for her and all of a sudden she's an open book to you? She confides in you all of her deepest secrets and innermost thoughts!?"

"She hasn't done that for me yet."

" _Yet_!? Listen to yourself, man! You have a _family_ back home! Instead, you are forgetting about them and running off to seduce some young, dumb little girl who's hormones are still rampaging through her system!"

"I haven't forgotten them, Alex!" he replied bitterly, "I haven't! Every fucking day I wake up alone, and I realize just how fucking lonely I am out here. You have no _fucking_ room to talk anyway! You sleep around with multiple women on a _regular basis_! So how _dare_ you accuse me of being unfaithful! Do I love Avery? Yes, I do, but you know why? Because I trust her! Because I'm trying to move on! I recognize that we won't ever go back home, so I am trying to restart my life. You best do the same!"

"What has she done to you, Terrias...?"

"Well, she's given me head," he replied, wearing a smug grin, "Rubbed me off a few times...won't let me do anything to her yet, she says she's saving _that_ for the Proving—whatever the hell that is. Seriously though, chill the fuck out, Alex. They aren't against us, far from it as a matter of fact."

"But Kira..."

"Have you ever stopped to think that _maybe_ Kira is such an ass to you because you're an ass to her? Even if you don't realize it? You're sitting here accusing her of keeping secrets, have you even considered approaching her on your concerns directly?"

"She'll just say there's nothing to worry about and call me a dumbass for thinking anything different!"

"Maybe she's right! Maybe there _is_ nothing else going on?"

" _Something_ is up with her!" Alex replied angrily, "I don't know what, but _something_ is!"

Terrias only shook his head, "You surprise me sometimes, Alex. With your blatant distrust of everyone who even tries to _help_ you...how the _fuck_ did you ever manage to trust Ruby, or Cynder, or Dash, or Piermont?"

"But..."

"I'm done talking," the servine hissed, returning to his meal.

The Commander fell silent, looking ahead to where Kira's eyes would occasionally dart in his direction. Regardless of what the servine said, there _was_ something she wouldn't tell him, he knew this, he just didn't know _what_. It's the only reason why making him a spear and going against her own ideas to give him a second chance would make sense.

The question was, what _did_ she know?


	33. Chapter XXXII: SSDD

_**Chapter XXXII**_ **:**

 **-''S.S.D.D''-**

 **-New Alexandria, Montana-**

 **- _13 March 2016_ -**

 **- _0831 Hours_ -**

"Hey, Ruby," Cynder began, stepping out onto the master bedroom's balcony and walking up to the dolphin, "Everything okay?"

The dolphin, having been sinking into another bout of depression following Cherub's death and Piermont's subsequent shutting down only sighed, "I'm worried about us."

"Who?"

"Everybody...this entire army...it seems we're all falling apart now."

The she-dragon affectionately nuzzled the dolphin, "I heard about what happen to Piermont...is he okay?"

"He's completely shut down it seems," the dolphin replied, "I tried getting through to him but...it's like he doesn't even know I'm there," then, "How are you doing? Are you feeling better?"

The dragon shrugged, "I narrowly managed to escape nerve damage...but it will scar. So, have we managed to have any luck finding Alex and Terrias?"

"No," Ruby replied unhappily, "But I hope we do soon...I miss him."

"I'm sure we will," Cynder replied soothingly, "He can't be very far."

"Do you miss him?"

Cynder smiled sadly, "Course I do, he's my mate, too."

"Why do you think he's hiding from us?"

Cynder shrugged, "As I've said before, he's probably hiding more from the authorities than us. Even then, with his minimal mutations, he probably has no way of contacting us."

"I heard on the news that they're declaring the search for him over...they're writing him off as dead...but they aren't, they _can't_ be!"

"Let the world think they are," Cynder replied with a sigh, "And maybe they'll be able to come back to us sooner than they originally planned."

"I'm debating whether to just run away, to go look for them myself...but I don't even know where to start! The world is so big, who knows where they could be hiding."

"I believe that, when they feel the time is right, they'll come find us. For now, they're trying to lay low, to keep themselves out of danger. They're fine, I promise."

"Spyro thinks he might have abandoned us..." Ruby replied, a light, mournful whistle in her sigh.

Cynder scoffed, "And what reason would they have doing that?

She shrugged, "Same reason everybody else seems to abandon me."

Cynder frowned at this statement. The dolphin didn't even sound sad as she said this, she seemed to have accepted the possibility of this reality, even though she didn't want to. "Ruby...they they wouldn't abandon you... _Alex_ wouldn't abandon you. They're probably stranded somewhere, unable to make contact with us due to their reduced mutations, and unwilling to find a way back here out of fear of the authorities finding them again. Trust me Ruby, they wouldn't abandon you, _especially_ Alex, you know how much he loves you."

When Ruby didn't say anything in return, merely turned her attention back out to the expansive estate sprawled out before her, Cynder gave the dolphin a hug, patting her on the back before returning inside the house, leaving Ruby alone outside.

As the she-dragon walked downstairs, Spyro approached her, "So...Ruby's got separation anxiety pretty bad I hear?"

Cynder scoffed towards her mate, "Why did you tell her that Alex abandoned her?"

"What? I didn't say that! I said that I wouldn't be surprised if Alex abandoned _us_ , I said nothing about him _actually_ abandoning us, let alone Ruby."

"Why do you have to be so negative? Alex is most likely in hiding!"

"Why?"

"I dunno, maybe to stay away from the police out looking for him? I would, too, if I were him!"

Spyro shrugged, "Okay, so you might have a point..."

"Just...leave Ruby alone, huh?"

"I have been!"

"Bullshit you have!"

"So I said a few things that she misinterpreted! You know how she is! She hears what she _wants_ to!"

"Just stay away from her!"

"I am! I am! Jesus! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I'm tired of the way you've been treating everyone here, especially Ruby."

Spyro rolled his eyes, "Jesus Christ, _this_ conversation again?"

"Yes _this_ conversation again! You need to..."

"Hey!" Rocket interrupted, suddenly appearing, "Sorry to interrupt your little argument, but Piermont called a meeting in the living room... _all_ of Alpha Company. Can someone get Ruby?" and the raccoon turned around, heading back to the parlor.

" _All_?" Spyro replied, surprised, then, "I'll go fetch Ruby..."

"No!" Cynder replied sternly and bitterly, " _I'll_ go get Ruby," and the she-dragon returned upstairs, Spyro looking after her, only sighing, shaking his head in disbelief before heading to the living room.

Piermont, in his human form, was already in the room with the rest of Alpha Company when Spyro arrived. While the rest of the unit, including Sam, Zinnia, and Aphrodite, chatted among themselves, the human-form Martaanean dragon stood at the window, looking outside into the rainy afternoon, arms crossed behind his back. The air was noticeably tense, and the purple dragon couldn't help but to have a bad feeling about this meeting...something was very, _very_ wrong. Ruby and Cynder soon appeared, staying away from the purple dragon to talk to Lucy and Dash, and after several minutes, the room fell into an eerie silence as Piermont finally turned to face the gathered Alpha Company. The dragon looked noticeably healthier, despite his pallid complexion, but his eyes were wild, homicidal, and vengeful, his expression was blank and he spoke in a low, slow, monotone voice.

When the silence became almost too much to bear and Spyro found himself growing uncomfortable, Piermont began, face contorted into a pained grimace, "This last battle was the final straw. Deitus has crossed the line with Cherub's death, and now it's time we pummel that motherfucker into the goddamn ground."

He slowly approached Spyro, wearing a twisted smile. The purple dragon anxiously looked around before slowly backstepping towards the rear of the crowd.

"So, this is what we're gonna do..." the dragon continued, tone of voice terrifying to hear, "I have ordered Heinrich to stop at _nothing_ to ensure that we find and kill that fucking son of a bitch. Once we find out where Deitus is hiding, we're going to utilize the Intelligence that Rocket gathered during his stay there to launch a full-scale assault on his castle...and we won't stop until that fucking demon is dead, do you bastards understand that? Anyone speak out against it?"

"We don't know enough about him and his military," Sapphire replied, "To wander so blindly into the foray is suicide!"

"I don't fucking care!" Piermont replied harshly, voice venomous, "That cocksucker will die, and _very_ soon. Anyone else have anything to say?"

"It's a foolish choice!" Sapphire growled, "You will get us all killed!" Piermont grinned widely, a terrifying look, and with smooth, eerie agility, the Martaanean dragon had pulled a Desert Eagle from a holster laying on the coffee table beside him and fired a shot into the dolphin's gut. Sapphire went down, Alpha Company—especially Ruby—screaming out and running towards him to tend to his injuries. Piermont, unfazed, merely strolled stiffly towards the bull, jamming the barrel of the gun against the dolphin's chin. Sapphire bore his teeth in disgust, breathing heavily, clutching his bleeding belly.

"Anything else?"

Silence.

"No? Excellent!" the dragon stood once again, pointing the gun at each and every member of the unit surrounding the injured bull, "As soon as I get word from Heinrich, we're moving out, so don't get too fuckin' comfortable..." he approached Sapphire again, crouching to the ground and jamming the barrel of the gun into the dolphin's injury, now covered by a bloody rag that Eli was pressing against his sapphire blue body, the dolphin grunted and hissed in pain, " _As soon_ as I hear back, are we all clear?"

"Piermont!" Ruby began firmly, standing tall and erect at the front of the crowd. Instantly, the human-form dragon had rotated to face her, holding her a gunpoint. The dolphin winced, but otherwise stood her ground.

"This isn't open for discussion, Ruby," he hissed, "Anyone else decides to step out of line...and they'll end up like our little friend over here," he nodded towards Sapphire, "Only...next time, I'm not going to waste a bullet. Are we clear?"

Silence from the stunned Alpha Company.

"Wonderful..." and he twirled the gun, returning it to the table, "Then we're done here."

Once the dragon had left, Eli nodded towards Spyro, "Hey, Commander?"

The startled purple dragon turned to face the human, jaw dropped.

"Nice job naming a mentally unstable freak as your successor. Thanks for putting us into a dictatorship, really appreciate that."

Spyro only backed away from the crowd, shaking his head in bewilderment, fully in denial of the events that had just transpired. The furious, accusing glares of Alpha Company towards the purple dragon as they tended to Sapphire's injuries frightened Spyro. It seemed that he had made yet _more_ deadly mistakes that further divided the once-close brotherhood.

"Sapphire..." Ruby whispered, voice shaking and gently stroking the bull's face, "Are you okay?"

The bull, trembling and feverish, nodded abruptly, "I'll be fine..."

"He's losing a lot of blood..." Zinnia began, "We need to get that bullet out and stitch him up."

"What will we do about Piermont?" Sapphire asked between breaths, "If Heinrich greenlights the assault, we'll be sent to our deaths."

"Heinrich is smarter than that," Aria replied, "He may be a complete douche, but he's not going to send us to our deaths."

"What if Piermont blackmails him?"

Cynder scoffed, "Heinrich won't take that bullshit, he's a major narcissist. Worse comes to worst they have a heated exchange but...nothing bad will come out of it. We'll be fine."

"I don't very much like the idea of being run by a dictatorship," Dash snorted, "We barely dodged that bullet with Spyro, and now it looks like Piermont won't be any better..." she looked around, searching for the purple dragon, "Go figure, that coward runs away and hides when things start to look bad."

"Leave him alone, Dash," Cynder replied coldly.

"Unfortunately, it seems the entire fucking High Command has gone off the deep end, we need to do something before things get any worse."

"Yeah? And what do you have planned?"

"Well...I dunno!"

"Exactly, so just...shut up and let things go. Leave Spyro out of this."

"The little purple cunt _put_ us in this mess!" Aria hissed, "We just gonna let him get away with this?"

"It's not worth starting a fight over," Cynder continued, "Leave him be."

"Sorry, Cyn," Jazz began, "But your mate has no balls. He exerts his authority over everything, then turns tail and hides when Karma comes around to bite him in the ass, you need to keep him on a leash, or _I_ will."

The others of Alpha Company nodded in agreement with the rabbit.

"Like hell you will," Cynder replied harshly, eyes narrowed, "Leave Spyro alone."

"Then tell that son of a bitch to grow a pair, own up to his mistakes, and be a fucking man!" the rabbit shook his head, "Jesus Christ...how is it that everyone _except_ Alex goes mad with power once they gain control over the militia?"

"Piermont isn't mad with power," Rapid interrupted, "There's something else going on here...something I've suspected and feared for quite some time...only _now_ we're starting to see proof of just how much damage has been done. It's like with a house's foundation, it looks only skin-deep until everything starts crumbling down around you. I'm not advocating a _coup_ or anything, but we need to do something and fast, or else the world—and the militia—as we know it is done for."

Cynder shook her head, "All I'm gathering from this is that no one _except_ Alex and _maybe_ Terrias is capable of commanding us. Since both of them are gone, we're kinda stuck up a creek without a paddle."

"So any ideas?" Rocket asked, "Or we just gonna sit here, twiddle our thumbs, and wait until Pierre puts us in a grave?"

Cynder frowned, "I can't see anything that we _can_ do."

"Well, for starters, we get rid of the crazy bastard in charge right now and install someone else until they go a little cuckoo, too."

"Who else is capable of leading this army?" the she-dragon asked.

"I dunno, whose turn is next? Or should we just draw straws?"

"This isn't the time for jokes, Rocket," Jazz grunted.

"Ain't joking," then, "Yo Nala, you wanna go?"

"Huh?" the lioness replied with a start, "Oh! No, no, no...I'll pass, thanks."

"C'mon!"

"Fuck that."

"Fair enough...Sonic?"

"I've tried that," the hedgehog replied, "Wasn't a fan."

"What about you, Cyn? Take up the mantle?"

The dragoness shook her head, "Power corrupts a bit too easily for my liking, I'm not interested."

"Aria?"

"I don't fuckin' know how to run shit around here!"

"For fuck's sake, does _anyone_ wanna take the responsibility?"

"Why don't _you_ take it, Rocket," Dash smirked.

"Hahaha! How about no? Too much work...'sides, I'm still new around here."

"What about you, Rev?" Jazz interrupted, "You wanna go?"

The skunk shook his head, "Like Cynder said, power corrupts...I'll pass."

"Jazz?" Rocket asked, "What about you, brother?"

The rabbit shook his head...as did the rest of Alpha Company, "After the shit I pulled as the 'Shade King', ain't nobody gonna let me within a mile of that title. Forgiven or not."

"What about Dash?" Cynder suggested, and the others of Alpha Company seemed intrigued by the idea.

"What about me?" the pegasus replied.

"Wanna backseat drive Alpha while Pierre goes on his power trip?"

"Uh...say what now?"

Cynder enunciated and exaggerated her words carefully, "Do you want to command Alpha Company?"

"Yeah...how about no."

"Why not?"

"Did you guys _not_ just see what he did to Sapphire!? I'll be damned if I'm gonna take that risk! I'm too young to die!"

"Let's put Ruby in charge," Sapphire said, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

"What?" Jazz asked, surprised.

"Let's give Ruby a chance," Dash agreed with a nod.

"You fuckin' serious?" the rabbit chuckled, agitated.

"I can't do it!" the cow exclaimed, "Piermont _nor_ Spyro will take that very kindly! They'll tear me to pieces!"

"Time to grow a pair," Rocket chuckled, "Thicken your hide."

"Ruby," Cynder said, "I've _seen_ how Alex trains you...you're the most capable here out of everyone. You've been there any time he's showed someone the ropes, you know more about the shit he does than either one of us do...that makes _you_ the most qualified."

"What if Piermont finds out!? He'll kill me!"

"That's why you gotta be subtle, sneaky, and capable of blending into the background," Dash replied, grinning, "Three things you're _really_ good at."

"How!?"

"Let Pierre go on his little power trip," Aria replied, "Let him _think_ that he's in control, but gently nudge him in your own, carved-out direction. I know you can do it, you're manipulative when you want to be, and you're scary damn good at it."

"What if Spyro finds out!?"

"He'll get over it," Rocket chuckled, "Ya see, you have the entirety of Alpha Company behind you...Spyro has proven that he's really easy to capitulate under peer pressure. We'll keep him in line."

"What if he tells Piermont!?"

"He won't," Cynder replied, "He's too scared to confront Pierre, _especially_ if he tells him that you're leading the army now. The first one to face Pierre's wrath—and the one who will bear the majority of it—will be the messenger, and Spyro will _not_ want to be in that position. He might not like it, and he might be vocal about it, although probably not out of fear of reprisal from Piermont, but he won't rat you out."

"What do I do?"

"I dunno," Eli replied with a smirk, "You're the boss," and the others of Alpha Company nodded in agreement at this choice.

"Well," Jazz replied with a sigh, "Can't be any worse than our current administration, so why the fuck not, I'll give Ruby a chance."

"Cynder, I'm sorry..." Spyro began as the she-dragon let herself into the room they shared, "I didn't know Piermont would end up like this."

"That's fine," the dragoness replied, "Ruby's backseat driving us now."

" _WHAT!?_ " the purple dragon instantly turned to face his mate, "Why!?"

"Because she's received more one-on-one training from Alex than anyone else, and she's not _nearly_ as susceptible to the corruption of power that everyone else seems to be. If Alex can trust her with his entire history—more than he can trust _us—_ I don't see why we can't trust Ruby either. She'll be good for it."

"If Piermont finds out, we're _all_ dead! You know that right!?"

"That's why Piermont won't find out," Cynder chuckled.

"You _severely_ underestimate him, Cyn."

"Maybe if you can keep your big mouth shut, he won't find out. Alpha has agreed unanimously that Ruby is our new leader, they'll do _their_ part to ensure that Piermont still lives under the illusion of control, can we... _I_...trust you to do _your_ part?"

Spyro frowned, obviously unhappy by this choice, especially considering he had no say in the matter. However, realizing that there was no way out, he complied, "Fine...but if Piermont finds out, I will stress that I had absolutely _no_ say in this choice or whatever dirty little plan you guys are concocting."

"Fair enough," the she-dragon replied, crawling into bed beside her mate.

As they lay on opposite sides of the bed, their backs to one another, Spyro asked,"So...Ruby, huh?"

"Yep."

"Why _her_ of all people? Why not Nala, or Sonic, or Reverend, or anyone else?"

"Because they all rejected the offer," Cynder replied, "They _know_ they're not capable of handling the stress and responsibility of commanding this army."

"And Ruby is? Cyn, she has a panic attack when Alex presents so much as a simple _choice_ to her...there's no fucking way she can command this army."

"Worth a shot anyway," the she-dragon replied.

"Do you _really_ think Ruby is capable of manipulating Piermont whilst giving him the illusion of free will? I mean, Ruby's smart for a dolphin, true, but does she possess the knowledge, skill, and foresight to push him along a predetermined path while leaving him completely clueless in the process?"

"Piermont is in a very fragile state of mind," Cynder continued, "Leaving him _much_ more vulnerable to the power of suggestion. If anything, it's easier now more than ever. Like I said, Ruby has had more training and personal time with Alex—she understands his job more, even if he didn't explicitly train her—than anyone else here. If _anyone_ is capable of taking up the mantle of responsibility, it's her."

"This is one hell of a risk, Cyn..."

"Do you have any _other_ ideas, Spyro? Alpha Company is falling apart faster than it can be mended. We really have nothing to lose anymore. Either Ruby succeeds in at least temporarily patching the rift between us, or she fails and we continue on the exact same track we're on now."

"Do you think she's capable of holding up beneath the stress? She's not really the...eh...strongest one here, mentally and emotionally speaking."

"She possesses a hidden well of strength. All she needs to do is tap into that and she's invincible."

"That's a tall order...especially considering she doesn't like to dwell very far—or at all—from her comfort zone."

"She's smart and she's stronger than all of us...she can and _will_ adapt."

"That's still one hell of a risk to take."

"We have no other option...but despite her sensitivity and vulnerability, she's the least corruptible here. Her ego and self-esteem couldn't be lower, meaning that she's less susceptible to going mad with the power...she's the polar opposite of narcissistic."

"Yeah? She's also one of the least sane people here."

"Regardless of what _you_ think," Cynder snapped, "Alpha has made their decision, and they agreed unanimously that Ruby is our best choice in the current state we're in...and no, I'm not counting you or Piermont, I already _know_ where you two stand on the choice."

Spyro smiled at an attempt at lighthearted humor, "We're still Alpha Company, Cyn."

The she-dragon, however, would not have any of it, "But you've lost a lot of respect and influence after the way you've handled the unit the past couple of years...and Piermont isn't Piermont anymore, he is someone else now...has been since the Reapers claimed Alex last year."

He sighed in submission, frowning, "So what do you suggest we do?"

"Take orders from Ruby, and _don't_ hint anything towards Piermont."


	34. Chapter XXXIII: Hunter-Gatherer

_**Chapter XXXIII**_ **:**

 **-''Hunter-Gatherer''-**

 **-Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico-**

 **-** _ **17 March 2016**_ **-**

 **-** _ **1012 Hours**_ **-**

Terrias sat outside in the sun, polishing his spear, oblivious to the world around him. Alex stood just inside the arched crevice leading into Avione, trying to decide what to say to the servine. He felt terrible for his explosion against his best friend, and wanted to find some way of making it up to him. Finally, with a sigh, Alex approached the Pokemon, hanging his head low.

Without looking up from what he was doing, Terrias asked, "Hell you want, Alex?"

The Commander took a seat beside his friend, "To apologize."

The servine smirked, "Really? That's a surprise."

After several minutes of silence, Terrias paused in his project, looking up towards Alex, "Listen, I've been thinking about what you said and...you're right. It's...wrong...of me to treat Aria like this. I guess I..." he looked off into the distance, lost in thought for a few moments, "I guess I just realized that the odds of us seeing our friends and family back home are next to nil...then Avery waltzes in, basically offering herself to me and..." he paused to collect the words, "I guess I just succumbed to my primal urges...sorry if I made you feel like a scorned lover."

"I think we've both had some hard times as of late," Alex replied, "The longer we're here, the crazier we get."

"Yeah," Terrias chuckled, "And soon we'll fit right in nicely with the rest of Avione..." then, "Shit, I'm almost as bad as you now."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

With a grin signifying that everything was just fine between them, Terrias clapped Alex on the back, "With the whole polygamy thing...though I guess I can start to see why you like it so much. Don't worry though," he winked, "You'll always be my favorite boy toy."

Alex only grinned, playfully punching his friend's shoulder, "You dick."

"Which reminds me, I'm still waiting for you to keep up on your promise of service. I mean, we missed our prison wedding so...you gotta make it up to me."

"One day."

"Pfft. One day? That's _my_ ass and I need it now!"

"It's my ass..." Alex frowned playfully.

"Nuh uh...you signed it off as my property the day you agreed to take me as your lawfully wedded husband. Your ass is _mine_ , son."

"Our wedding never happened, therefore it's still my property."

"So _you_ think," Terrias chuckled, "God damn you, man. I'm trying to be mad at you and you're making me laugh. Stop it you asshole!"

"You can't resist my boyish charms, Tare-Tare."

"Aww...you even got a cute pet name for me..." then, grinning mischievously, "Does that mean I can call you Ali now?"

Alex instantly sobered.

"Guess that's a no then? God fucking damn it."

"Hey dumbass!" Kira called from the den's entryway. Instantly, Alex looked up to face her. She waved him over, "Get your scrawny little ass in here! _NOW_!" and she disappeared back inside the darkness.

"Fucking..." Alex sighed.

"Uh oh," Terrias said, feigning a gasp, "Somebody's in trouble..."

"Bite me," the Commander replied, standing up.

"Nah, man. That's _your_ job."

Alex only flipped him the bird, not even turning back to face him.

"Love you!" Terrias called over to him, cupping his mouth and grinning widely, but he was ignored by the Commander.

Alex entered the cool, damp darkness of Avione, wandering the snaking entrance tunnels until he arrived in the open commons hub. There, at an empty table beside a dying, breakfast bonfire, sat Kira, distractedly rolling her spear across its surface. Alex took a seat nearby, "You called for me?"

"No shit, Sherlock," she grunted, "Got a job for you."

"Oh boy..." Alex replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes but biting his tongue.

"Oh fuck you, I'm being nice, jackass."

"What's the job?" Alex replied, worrying at her response.

"You wanted to go on a hunt?"

The Commander instantly perked, "Yeah, get a chance to get outside and spread my legs."

"Good, cause the rest of my party is sick, Avery has some kinda bullshit private session planned for Terrias tonight, and I need someone else to help me get shit brought back here. Guess who's my bitch?"

Alex sighed, "Well, at least I'm going on the hunt."

She smirked, "One way to look at it."

"So when are we leaving then?"

"At dusk, we'll be gone well into the night, so hope you don't mind getting a little cold."

"When's our sparring session today?"

"Ain't gonna have one," Kira replied, "Don't feel like it, time to see if you learned anything, or if you're still as retarded as always," and she stood up, pruning her charcoal-black feathers briefly before disappearing inside her room.

One she was gone, Alex sent a confused glances towards where she had gone...something was going on with her, no doubt about it. She was acting strangely, and this worried him, what was going on with her? A sudden, nightmarish thought entered his mind, outlandish and impractical as it was terrifying...was she going to take him out to the desert to kill him? The fact that she was bringing him and him _alone_ when he knew for a fact that her party was well and truly healthy...he had just seen them earlier, sparring. Her hunts were also almost never at night, because of how dark and cold it could get...she would normally leave shortly after around noon and would be back before sunset. Deeply concerned about her plans, Alex rushed back outside, finding Terrias taking practice swings against a hastily crafted training dummy.

"Terrias!" Alex called to him, "Got a problem, mate!"

The servine paused in his antics, pouring some water from his canteen over his head and nodding towards the Commander, "What's wrong?"

"Have you heard anything about the hunting party being unable to head out tonight?"

He shrugged, "No, not that I'm aware of...why?"

"Because Kira says that they can't participate tonight...she and I are going out alone after dusk."

"Ooh, kinky...though it looks like I've got competition," he chuckled.

"I'm serious, mate...I'm worried."

"Why?"

"Do you think she's going to try and kill me out there?"

An awkward silence fell over them for a few seconds before Terrias burst into wild laughter, "Oh that's a good one! Really!"

Alex was not amused, "I'm dead fucking serious, man..."

The servine, grinning widely, shook his head, "You're paranoid, man."

"Rightfully so...Kira scares the shit out of me."

"What are you worried about?"

"That she's gonna do something, like abandon me out there to die or...I don't know."

"Yeah...I don't think that's what's up...but whatever gets your rocks off."

"What do _you_ think!?"

He shrugged, "I dunno, something probably came up, she needs a slave to go help her drag supper back here, so she recruits you because...well...you're her bitch."

That night, Alex hesitantly waited outside the den, watching as the sun sank and the full, fat moon rose in the east. Butterflies fluttered around in his stomach and he was unsure of what to expect, he hadn't seen Kira since her invitation, and her hunting party had no idea where she had run off to, but had stated that the harpy herself had canceled the hunt that night, claiming that she wanted to take her _protégé_ out instead to test his abilities. The fact that he and Kira were going to be out in the desert alone deeply frightened him...just what was she planning?

"Hey, dumbass!" Kira roared from the cave entrance, attracting the Commander's attention. The harpy approached him, her dual spears clutched tightly in hand, "Hope you're ready."

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"Good, cause we're leaving," and she shoved him aside to get in front of him, leading the way, "Better fucking keep up. If you get lost out here I'm not coming back to save your ass."

As they walked aimlessly through the desert, searching for animals or tracks to follow, Alex wanted to start a conversation with the harpy, but was afraid to out of fear of what she would do. Several times he started to speak but caught himself before he could, and after an hour or two, it seemed Kira caught on. "You still alive back there or you just mute?"

"I'm here."

"Surprised you aren't talking."

Alex shrugged, "Nothing to say. Plus we need to concentrate here."

She smirked, "Well, I'll be damned, you're learning something after all...but you're still a dumbass."

Alex immediately glanced towards the harpy at her odd choice of words, _Wait a second..._

He didn't get a chance to finish this thought however as a loud crack rang through the air, startling them both. "What the _fuck_?" the harpy asked, racing forward, Alex sprinting along behind her.

As they reached the edge of a bluff, Kira abruptly pulled back, swearing. Alex raced to catch up, but she grabbed him by his loin cloth and pulled him back, causing him to fall onto the ground, "Stay back you idiot! Before you get us killed!" she hissed, voice a whisper.

"What's going on!?" Alex whispered back.

"Stay low and stay close to me!" she hissed, now laying prone and crawling across the cold desert floor. Alex stayed right on her heels, and that was when he heard it...voices.

"Oh shit..." she sighed, peering over the cliff.

Alex, staying behind her and to the side couldn't see, "What's going on?" he asked.

"Humans...Five of them."

"What? The hell are they doing all the way out here at this hour?"

"I don't know..." she replied, and Alex thought he could hear real fear in her voice.

"They sound drunk," Alex replied, "That may or may not play in our favor."

"I don't..." but the ground cracked beneath them and Kira cried out as the ground gave out beneath her and she tumbled down the incline, landing harshly on the ground right beside the group of men.

"Kira!" Alex exclaimed in a harsh whisper.

The harpy, with a groan, picked herself up, brushing the dust off her clothes and holding her head.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING!?" one of the men exclaimed, pulling a gun on the harpy, who instantly looked up to face them and began to pull back.

"Kira!" Alex exclaimed, voice stronger.

"Get out of here, you idiot!" she exclaimed.

"I'm not leaving you!" Alex replied, and a crack sounded through the air. Kira cried out as a bullet tore through one of her wings in a spray of blood and feathers, "NO!" he exclaimed, sliding down the cliff and using the momentum to launch himself into the air. He fell towards the ground upon ramping off the incline, planting his spear into the torso of one of the men, rushing towards her with a baseball hat.

"ALEX! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!?" Kira exclaimed, but the Commander ignored her, dodging gunshots from at least two weapons to tackle and swiftly bring as many men down with his spear, "THEY WILL KILL YOU, DUMBASS!"

One man charged towards the Commander, wielding a machete. As Alex's assailant swung towards him, the Commander, remembering what Kira had taught him, caught the attack on the shaft of his spear, bashing the man to knock him aside before eviscerating the fellow. In the pandemonium caused by the sudden attack, Alex ran to where Kira was sitting, seeking cover behind a boulder. He slid down to the ground beside her, throwing her over his shoulders despite her protests and running towards the incline, hoping he could catch enough speed to make it back up.

"PUT ME DOWN!" she exclaimed, "What the _hell_ are you doing!?"

"I'm saving your fucking life!" Alex hissed.

"Get yourself back to the tribe, I can handle myself!"

"I'm not leaving you behind!"

Alex barely managed to make it up the incline, but not before a bullet tore through his side, sending him to the ground. Sirens sounded, and Alex shielded his eyes as glowing red and blue lights surrounded him. Spear in hand, he crawled towards a gap in the police cruisers, trying to get out into the desert, but the officers were much faster than him. Before he could get away, he felt a boot press itself firmly against his wounded side, and he screamed in pain before the foot shoved him onto his back. He shielded his face as two officers piled onto him, wielding batons and stun rods. Before he could fight back, he felt a pinprick in his throat and the world lost solidity. His body numbing, he rolled onto his other side again, only to watch as Kira was restrained and sedated in a similar manner to him before his last iota of consciousness winked out of existence.

" _Alex...I don't know if you can hear me..." Ruby says, her voice omnipresent in the encompassing darkness, "Alpha Company has elected me as their commander until you return. I can hold things for a little while but...not for long. Please, Alex, come back soon...I don't know how long I can keep things under control."..._

...Alex gasped for breath as his eyes snapped open. He frantically looked around, finding that two doctors huddled over his bedside, both wearing puzzled expressions. Upon noticing his awakening, one of them smiled darkly, "Welcome back to civilization, Commander Vaughn...we've been looking for you for quite some time."

"Kira..." Alex groaned, trying to move his numb limbs, but they refused to cooperate.

The other doctor turned to face his partner, "Did you call the police?"

"Yes, they'll be hear momentarily to pick him up."

"What about the other one? Where did they take her?"

The doctor shrugged, "She's in the I.C.U...I don't know what they plan on doing with her, my guess is that they'll probably cart her off to some lab somewhere...she's a new species after all."

Upon this statement, Alex felt his anger rise, and with a maddened roar, he tore himself free from the straps binding him to the bed, grabbing the doctor by the throat and smashing his head forcefully into the bed rails. The other doctor responded by reaching for a nearby defibrillator, but the Commander tore it from the man's hand, pressing the device to the man's chest. He screamed before his body tensed and fell like a board to the ground. Alex quickly sat up in bed, undoing the straps across his legs and climbing out of bed, nearly collapsing as his heavy sedation dizzied him.

Nearby, sitting on a counter, was his spear, and the Commander stumbled over to it, picking it up and walking towards the door to his room. He kicked it open, stumbling into the empty halls, following signs to Intensive Care. When he reached the doors leading into the wing, locked to him by a keypad, he viciously punched through the slotted glass window, opening the door from that side and shoving the door open, stumbling inside. "Kira!" he called, his voice heavy and sedated.

As he stepped into the reception area, two security guards came running out from behind the reception desk, approaching him carefully, "Commander Vaughn," one of them said, holding his hands out before him, "Please sit down."

"Where is she!?" Alex hissed, struggling to form the words. When the guards had finally reached him, the one who had spoken to him nodded towards his partner, who immediately moved to tackle and restrain the young man. Alex responded by impaling the man through the stomach with his spear and tearing the weapon free. His partner on the ground, crying out in pain, the other guard rushed towards Alex, but in a swift slash, he lay on the ground, disemboweled.

The nurses and receptionists screamed, tripping an alarm before fleeing from the sight, and Alex continued forward, stepping behind the reception counter and searching for his mentor's room number. Mentally noting that 'JANE DOE?' was stationed in a private room down the hall, Alex made his way towards it, charging his shoulder into the door and breaking it open. Two doctors in the room here, tending to Kira, who was strapped in bed, quickly fell back, raising their arms in surrender. Alex quickly cut them down, running to the unconscious Kira and untying her bounds.

"KIRA!" he exclaimed, shaking her, "Wake up! _WAKE UP!_ "

She awoke with a start, reflexively grabbing Alex by the throat. Upon identifying it as him, her grip loosened and he was surprised to see what looked like relief briefly flash in her expression before it devolved yet again into fury and disgust. "What the fuck is going on? Where the hell are we!?"

"I don't know," Alex replied, "Probably in Blackgorge."

He grabbed her spear, laying nearby, and handed it to her.

"Listen! We need to get out of here and get back to Avione A.S.A.P! We _cannot_ stay here!"

Hearing sirens, he ran to the window, peering outside through the blinds. Four S.W.A.T vans had pulled into the parking lot, accompanying several cruisers, and Alex watched as countless officers poured through the E.R entrance.

"Shit!" he hissed, "We've got company! C'mon, Kira! We need to get out of here! Let's go!"

With the harpy by his side, they rushed back through the hospital until reaching the stairwell. Down below, they could hear frantic voices barking orders, and Kira asked, "What's your brilliant fucking plan, Alex?"

"The roof," he suddenly replied, "Follow me!" and he led them upstairs finally emerging upon the rooftop helipad. The Commander busted out the glass of the chopper's door with the tip of his spear, reaching in to open the door before briefly digging around and grabbing a backpack parachute.

"Now what do we do, dumbass!?" Kira hissed, "We're cornered up here! How we gonna get down?"

"Gonna glide," he replied, "Might be able to hijack a ride to take us out of here..." he scanned the skyline, nodding in the distance, where he could just barely make out the interstate opening out into the desert beyond, "Over there! You see it?"

Kira's complexion paled, "I know where we are..." but with a shake of the head, she turned to face Alex, wearing an impatient expression, "How we gonna glide down!? You don't have wings and mine are crippled!"

Alex quickly threw on the backpack, "Hold onto me, we're gonna jump."

" _WHAT!?_ Are you fucking insane!?"

"Trust me!"

"Hell no!"

"Listen to me, Kira!" Alex exclaimed in a hurried, strained voice, "Please, just trust me! I know you might not but...I just ask that you do, just this once and I _promise_ I won't ask again."

Silence for several seconds before Kira reluctantly nodded, "Fine...but you _better_ know what you're doing dumbass."

He smiled and nodded, "I have an idea...now hold on!"

She ran up to him, wrapping her avian arms around his neck as he raced towards the side of the roof and leaped off into the abyss. Once they were about a quarter of the way down, he reached over and pulled the cord, activating his parachute and gliding down. They touched down in an alley, and directly ahead, Alex nodded towards a S.W.A.T van that was just barely visible.

"Follow me!"

He sprinted over to the van, climbing into the driver's seat, Kira climbing in beside him before he slammed the door shut, threw the shift into drive and slammed the pedal to the floor, rocketing down the street. Dozens of assault rifles fired behind him, and Alex winced as one blew off the driver's side mirror. Over the radio, a frantic voice reported the stolen vehicle, and Kira sent the Commander a horrified look.

"Don't worry, Kira, I'll get us out of here, just hold on tight!"

As they raced through the streets, dodging the pursuing authorities, one cruiser pulled up alongside the driver's side. The passenger window rolled down, and a S.W.A.T officer poked out, firing his shotgun towards the door, Alex ducked as it blew out the door's glass and he sharply turned the steering wheel to the left, slamming into the car and spinning it into the median. Up ahead, they could see a police blockade set up, but they were now on an overpass directly above a soutbound interstate.

"Hold on!" Alex exclaimed, aiming the vehicle for a construction zone containing a vehicle he could use as a ramp. He struck his target, ramping off the side of the overpass and landing abruptly on the bottom road with a wild howl of excitement. "Fuckin' A! URA!" he exclaimed with a laugh, turning to face Kira, hair and feathers in disarray, who was clinging onto her seat for dear life. Upon landing, the car abruptly lost control and Alex struggled with the wheel until he had stabilized their direction once more. Behind him, the pursuing cruisers pulled off around the k-rail. "TAKE THAT MOTHERFUCKERS!" Alex howled, "URA!"

His excitement was short-lived however, as spotlights swayed across the street, and Alex looked above them to see two police helicopters circling around the interstate, the side doors sliding open and more S.W.A.T officers peering out to fire at them with assault rifles.

"SHIT!" he hissed, swerving to avoid the gunshots and continue his southbound approach into the desert, hoping they didn't cut him off again.

"GUYS! GUYS! GET IN HERE! QUICK!" Dash exclaimed, sitting in front of the living room television.

Almost immediately, the rest of Alpha Company piled into the living room, surrounding the couch, "What the hell are you going on about?" Rocket asked.

"Look!" and the pegasus turned up the television set's volume, showing a high-speed chase, "Listen!"

" _...Police and S.W.A.T forces are currently engaged in a high speed chase through the city of Blackgorge, New Mexico. Reports say that two hostage takers at Allison Memorial Hospital stole a S.W.A.T van from the site. As of this time, only one of the suspects has been identified: twenty-two year old Alex Vaughn from New Alexandria, Montana. Alex Vaughn, better known as the founder and commander of the Terminator Militia, has been missing since his escape from Terminus Penitentiary last month..._ "

Cynder shook her head, paw covering her mouth.

Spyro snarled, "Get someone on that, NOW!"

"Well..." Rocket began, "We found Alex and Terrias."

"I SAID NOW!" the purple dragon hissed.

"Go faster!" Kira exclaimed, anxiously peering out the window to see the helicopters strafing into position ahead of them.

Alex swerved to avoid another string of gunfire as the choppers crossed paths with each other ahead. They began firing towards the van, which the Commander responded by abruptly slamming on the breaks and throwing the wheel as far right as he could. They spun across the highway, bullets tearing through the roof and windshield, Kira crying out to shield herself, before Alex managed to regain control of the van and continued forward.

"You idiot!" she hissed, "Are you _trying_ to get us killed!?"

Up ahead, another blockade came into view, with officers firing upon them from the cover of lined up vehicles. "Keep your head down!" the Commander exclaimed, and Alex gunned it, plowing through the vehicles and continuing forward. The overpass they were traveling on slowly began to lower as a ramp until it met the desert floor, but Alex continued forward, "Hold on, Kira! We're almost out of here!"

"Watch out for those machines!" she exclaimed as the helicopters lowered to either side of the vehicle, the side doors being thrown open to allow their passengers to poke out and fire directly at Alex and Kira.

"Almost there!" Alex exclaimed, "Just a little bit longer...!"

The second helicopter then glided up ahead of them, the side door opening to allow one of the S.W.A.T forces, wielding a bazooka, to stand just inside.

"OH SHIT!" Alex exclaimed, slamming on the breaks as the man fired upon them. The rocket exploded on the street in front of them, taking out a massive expanse of the bridge and leaving them stranded at the edge, "Shit, shit, shit..." the Commander breathed.

" _NOW_ what, genius!?"

"Let me think!"

"They're closing in on us! Hurry your dumb ass up!"

Alex anxiously glanced around, trying to figure out what to do. The helicopter that had blown out the bridge was circling around them, lowering onto the bridge to deposit its passengers and intercept the duo.

Kira, sounding much more frightened, exclaimed, "Do something!"

The Commander then turned to face the second helicopter, hovering just off the side of the bridge, directly in front of them, exposing its side. The side door was open and two officers had sniper rifles trained on them. "I've got an idea..." he replied coldly, "Keep your dead down..." and he ducked beneath the dash, slamming the pedal down and rocketing forward.

"What are you doing!?" Kira exclaimed.

"Getting us out of this situation!" he squeezed his eyes shut as they ripped through the k-rail, free-falling over the abyss below. Everything snapped into slow motion, and Alex looked around, his life flashing before his eyes, expecting himself to miss his target and plummet to his death below. Instead, the rammed through the helicopter, tearing through its interior and becoming lodged inside. The damaged machine began to spin out of control, with their van's radio exploding with frantic cries from the helicopter's passenger, "Mayday! Mayday! We're going down! Repeat, we are going down!"

Alex grabbed onto the dashboard to steady himself with his bionic arm, throwing his other arm around the frightened Kira's shoulders and pulling her close. She didn't say anything, in fact seemed to almost press herself _into_ him, and as they huddled together, the ground grew closer an closer until a crash of glass and twisted metal sounded, pain flared throughout his body, and Alex passed out.

The Commander slowly came to with a groan, in a daze. His body burned with a hellish heat, his senses were shot, the world was dull in color, threaten to black out again, and his ears were ringing. His entire body throbbed and burned and he tried to looking around. He was sitting upside down, strapped to the seat of the van, and directly ahead of them, a cold wind blew through the broken windshield, cooling his feverish body. The tail of the helicopter had crashed several meters in front of them, burning brightly, and pieces of flaming debris littered the area. Distantly, he could hear sirens and spotlights danced across the desert floor below. The helicopter's dislodged blade spun wildly out of control, slicing through the wreckage and barely missing his arm by a hair before lodging itself in the sand ahead.

He heard a groan, wincing and abruptly turning to his right. Kira remained strapped in her seat, as dazed and confused as he was. She shook her head, gently rubbing her forehead and reaching down around to undo her seat belt. She fell to the floor of the wreckage with a thud, picking herself up and turning to face the Commander, wearing a concerned snarl. "You idiot!" she hissed, although not out of malice, "You could have got us killed!"

She crawled over to struggling to unlatch the seatbelt. When it wouldn't budge, she swiftly cut him down, and Alex groaned as he fell painfully to the floor, sending fresh heat flaring throughout his body. especially around his side. She kicked off the driver's side door, crawling out of the vehicle before turning around and dragging him onto the ground. He gasped for breath, his vision flickering dangerously towards blackness.

"Shit..." she breathed, quickly examining him and gently touching a twisted metal bar that had punched through his hip. Anxiously looking around, she lifted him onto her back and made a break for a nearby arch, hiding beneath it as spotlights from helicopters washed past them.

"They're looking for me..." Alex replied, "Leave me here and you get out of here!"

"Fuck that."

"They're looking for me, not you. Get away from here!"

"I'm not leaving you here to die!" she hissed, and silence fell for several moments before she said, "I know where we are...if we keep moving, we should be back home in a few hours."

Alex weakly pointed towards the nearby crash site, "We need to get away from here before they come to investigate."

"That's the plan," she replied, then checking her corners to ensure there was no one around, she sprinted across the desert, hugging the cliff to her right and making a run to the next arch. She narrowly managed to reach it to cover before a patrolling spotlight shined past them. After a tense hour, she finally managed to escape the range of the police's search, and she broke into a sprint, taking care not to jostle the injured Commander _too_ much.

Just as the moon had begun to sink, Kira wandered, exhausted, into the Avione. Immediately, the other harpies, along with Terrias, rushed over to them, but not before Kira lowered Alex to the ground and collapsed forward herself. They surrounded her, but the harpy abruptly shoved them away, "I'm fine," she replied bitterly, clutching her bloody side, more covered in Alex's blood than her own, and walking into the washroom. Alex chanced to stand, walking, unguided, to the bedroom and collapsing into his bedroll. Kira appeared soon after, having rinsed the blood off her body and now pressing a blood-soake cloth tight against her breast. She walked over to the Commander, armed with a needle and thread, and set to work on removing the protruding shrapnel, cleaning and sterilizing the wound before stitching it up, then walking over to her own bed, still holding the rag to her chest.

"How you feeling?" Alex asked.

"Why do you care?" she spat, removing her cloth bra and flicking her hair back. Surprised, Alex looked away briefly before his eyes slowly turned back towards the harpy, watching as she adjusted her left breast to get a better view of the injury. Her breasts were small, likely a B or C-cup, with brown areolas and nipples, hard and erect against the chilly room. When his eyes returned to the harpy herself, Kira was glaring at him with a look of grim humor, "Why the stupid expression? What's wrong with you? Never seen a pair of boobs before? Thought you had a girlfriend."

Alex said nothing, looking away.

"Well, if you're gonna take in the eye-candy, you might as well come over here, dumbass."

Reluctantly, Alex approached her, the harpy was busy wiping the injury clean with the soiled cloth, hissing at the sight of the deep injury. She looked up towards him briefly, nodding, "Grope 'em...stare at 'em...whatever. Just get it out of your system, I need your help."

"What's wrong?" he replied, crouching beside her.

She revealed the injury to him, asking, "You know how to use a needle and thread?"

"Somewhat, yeah."

"Good! Stitch me up," and she handed him the sharpened bone needle and a roll of thread, "Hurt me more than necessary, and I'm gonna kick your ass. Make it quick, too, don't want people to get the wrong impression," she laid down on her bedroll, exhaling deeply before squeezing her eyes shut, "All right, let's go."

Kneeling beside her, he gently threaded the needle and poked it through the skin at the edge of the injury, proceeding to thread the wound closed. After several minutes, he finally stood up once again and she sat up, stretching and examining his handiwork.

"Threaded it a little thick, but good enough, thanks. Now, gimme some room, huh?"

Alex returned to his bed, massaging his own injury, aching fiercely. He cast another glance towards Kira, eyes widening when he saw her remove the panties the hospital had given her, digging around for a clean loin cloth. Finally finding was she was looking for, she stood back up, her body facing towards him although she was fully engrossed in dressing herself. Between her brown thighs, he could just barely make out the shape of her pink, closed, bird-like cloaca, hidden within the sleek, obsidian-black feathers of her waist, making up a belt of sorts between both of her wings that stretched from her lower belly to her knees. Once more, her form confused him: a human face, torso, lower legs, and arms, yet birdlike hands, feet, wings, and apparently nether regions. What exactly could such a form accomplish, or did bastard crossbreeds commonly look like this? The transitions between the vastly different anatomical components were surprisingly smooth and clean, making her look less like a twisted amalgamation of bird and man, and instead more like an evolutionary achievement.

"Christ, always staring, huh? Fucking pervert!" she spat, "Maybe I _should_ have left your ass back there."

"Well, when you haven't gotten any sexual relief in six months, sometimes you can't help yourself."

"Dunno what your problem is, I'm a virgin and you don't see _me_ staring at your ugly ass!"

"You? A virgin?" he chuckled.

"What? That supposed to be surprising? Do I _look_ like a slut? Fuck you!"

He only shook his head with a sigh, knowing that fighting against her was futile.

"Hell's your problem anyway?" she replied, "I did you a favor, first taking you on the hunt, then dragging your sorry ass back here."

"When we first came here you'd chase us outta the entire den when you got dressed, now here you are stripping down to your birthday suit right in front of me without a care in the world."

"We've lived under the same roof for awhile, I'd expect you to start respecting my privacy without me telling you, too!"

"Fine...I'll go," and he stood up, about to leave.

"You might as well stay, I'm almost done anyway," and she adjusted the loin cloth around her waist to make it comfortable, slipping on a freshly cleaned bra, taking care to avoid brushing against her wound, she smirked, "Hope you enjoyed your little peepshow, dumbass."

"Yeah, yeah...I've heard it all..." he sighed, standing up and stumbling towards the hall.

"Hey! Where you goin' now!?"

"To clean up, if you really must know."

She chuckled, "Do I need to wipe your ass for you? You're acting like a great big pussy walking around like that, you didn't get hurt _that_ bad!"

"No thanks, I'll pass."

"Really?" she smirked, "Afraid I'll see your tiny pencil dick?"

Alex said nothing, only left the room, and her, behind him.

In the washroom, Alex found Terrias washing his loincloth. The servine nodded towards him, saying, "You look like hammered shit."

"I'm tired, kinda horny, too," the Commander sat down beside the creature, washing his face and body in the grimy water.

"Whoa! Hello!" Terrias replied with a sly grin, "Paws are too sensitive from laundry to be giving you a good tug-off, come back later."

"Ha ha...very funny," Alex replied coldly, "Kira decided she'd show off her womanhood, in all its glory."

"She stripped for you? God damn, lucky bastard, I _still_ haven't convinced Avery to do that for me yet."

"She didn't strip for me, she just decided 'hey, why don't I change up while this guy's here'. Then she had me stitch up that injury of hers. Nothing like having a pair of birdgirl boobs in your face while you're trying to play _Operation_. Surprised I didn't hit the friggin' buzzer."

Terrias laughed at this statement.

"What made it even better, as I was leaving to get cleaned up, she asked if I wanted her to bathe me down..." and he turned towards the water once more, washing his face, "Getting _really_ tired of her bullshit."

"You know, I think she has the hots for you."

"Don't believe it. At least, she sure as hell don't _act_ like it."

"C'mon, Alex...first the spear, then playing hero, and now the stripdown...either you're seriously friendzoned, which I doubt she's capable of, or she's got the hots for you."

"What about the spear?"

"Well, while you two were riling up the city into a panic, I got to talking with Amery. It's pretty clear Avery likes me, which is why I'm not surprised, but Kira _did_ surprise me."

"What did she say?"

"Well, you know how Avione is a matriarch."

"Yeah."

"Meaning it's led by women. The females do most of the pack-specific jobs, and also are in charge of choosing their mates, leaving the males to raise the children."

"Yeah..."

"One of the ways a birdgirl tells a guy she likes him? She makes him a spear."

"What?"

Terrias nodded, "Yeah, it's a sign of affection and romantic interest in a partner."

"So, Kira being a taunting ass as always."

"Um...no...I think she genuinely likes you, she's just pretending like she's not. It's called 'tsundere', and it exists."

"She made the spear because I kept failing to, it was a way to mock me."

"No...if Kira wanted to mock you, she'd keep forcing you to craft spears until you achieved her standards, that's what Amery said. This isn't something that someone, even like Kira, would joke about...it's a very serious, traditional thing. You want my opinion? She's testing the waters a bit, seeing where she lies on your 'friendship' grid."

"Even if that were the case, I'm not gonna make the same mistake I did with Sarah. I fucked up when I kept _knowingly_ cheating on her, I'm not doing that again."

"Didn't say to go one way or the other, I'm just telling you my observations. Most of the den seems pretty damn convinced that Kira's sheltering some hidden attractions to you."

"Great...so I'm gonna be on the receiving end of an abusive relationship, fuck that idea."

"Ever stop to think that Kira's just trying to keep you in your place? Avione is, from what I've seen anyway, a society deeply rooted in tradition, familial roles, and culture. No offense, but you can be an ass. Wouldn't be surprised if Kira's the only one ballsy enough to make sure that you know your place in the tribe."

"Regardless," Alex hissed, "I'll believe it when I see it."

They parted ways then, with Alex leaving the washroom into the den's commons. Kira sat by herself at the table in silence, staring towards and playing with her food. "You saved my life..." he said, approaching her, "Again...thank you."

She smirked, "Yeah? Don't get used to it. I don't like having debts, so I only saved your ass because you saved mine."

"Guess that means I still owe you one then...first you pulled us out of the desert, and now this."

"I'm not counting the first one," she spat, although there was a very light trace of friendliness in her tone, "Didn't really save you as much as we were about to make you supper."

"Are you okay?"

She narrowed his eyes towards him, "Hell you think, dumbass!? We just missed getting slaughtered by humans back there, and you have the audacity to ask if I'm okay."

"Sorry," he replied defensively, "I didn't mean to offend."

"I'm doing fucking fantastic," she added, popping her neck muscles, "Actually had a rush of adrenaline," she smirked mischievously, surprising the Commander, "Was fun as hell."

Silence for a few moments as she finally began to eat, and Alex began to walk back towards their room.

"Why did you save me," she asked, pausing him in his tracks, "I told you to get out of there, dumbass...why didn't you go back?"

"Because I don't leave my friends behind," he replied, looking over his shoulder, "That's always been my philosophy: never leave a man behind."

"You could have gotten yourself killed, idiot."

"But then _you_ wouldn't have made it out as well...like I said, not _all_ humans want to bring harm to others…sorry for caring," and without another word, he disappeared back into his room.


	35. Chapter XXXIV: Jungle Fever

_**Chapter XXXIV**_ **:**

 **-''Jungle Fever''-**

 **-New Alexandria, Montana-**

 **- _21 March 2016_ -**

 **- _1157 Hours_ -**

Ruby laid down in bed alone, looking up towards the ceiling. Her sleep that night had been troubled, especially now that they had finally found Alex. Although she was excited, the others had told her that they weren't going to say anything to Piermont, or even so much as acknowledge their discovery until they found him for sure. Add to that, Heinrich had, indeed, greenlit their assault on Deitus' castle, and this horrified not just the dolphin, but the entirety of Alpha Company. When sunlight shone down through the window outside into her eyes, the dolphin, with a sigh, sat up in bed and walked towards the bathroom, examining herself in the mirror.

The realization that she was in power over the entire Terminator Militia was both daunting and warming. Alpha Company had trusted their lives into her hands, and she smiled at this display of trust. For once, she was finally feeling loved and accepted. She promised herself, and promised Alex, that she would do everything to try and undo the damage that Spyro and Piermont had caused, while simultaneously carrying the militia to victory.. What still worried her, however, was the fulfillment of Piermont's mission...the plan was to attack Deitus that afternoon, and Ruby feared what would come out of it. In a few hours, she was going to come face-to-face with hers and Alex's son, personally...someone who would stop at absolutely _nothing_ to ensure that they were taken down and killed.

Despite this stress, she took several deep breaths, attempting to keep herself calm and under control. There was a lot riding on her shoulders, and she had been trusted to lead the fight. _I won't let you down, Alex_! she thought to herself, _You can trust me!_

She finally exited her room an hour or so later, heading downstairs and outside into the backyard. To celebrate the first day of Spring and the mildly-warm weather, Alpha Company had decided to grill out, chatting among themselves while Rapid and Jazz grilled burgers and hot dogs for lunch. "Hey Ruby!" Dash called, beckoning the dolphin over to where she, Cynder, Eli, and Rocket chatted.

"Did you guys hear about Heinrich's declaration?" Ruby asked in a low voice.

"Unfortunately," Dash replied, "Bastard greenlit Piermont's plan...does he _honestly_ think that's giong to work? We're fucked if we go down there."

"So what do we do then?" Eli asked, "Cause I got nothing."

"Not sure," Dash replied with a sigh, "That's what I've been trying to figure out myself."

"Plus, now that we've found Alex and Terrias, we need to find out _where_ exactly they're at and get down there to save their asses," Cynder replied, "Thankfully, they got away from the police, but who knows where they are now."

"Didn't Spyro say that we had some of our boys down there investigating any clues?"

"Yes," Cynder replied, "And from what we've gathered, both of them are _still_ in the area...though the question is _where_ are they."

"What are we gonna do about Pierre?"

"We need to keep this little discovery a secret...for now anyway," Cynder continued.

"Maybe if we tell him about it, he'll call off the assault on Mount Purgatory?" Rocket asked, "Worth a shot, right?"

"No," the she-dragon replied, "Because we don't know _for sure_ what's going on down there. The cops claim that it was Alex and some girl, not Alex and Terrias, so it's hard telling if we're even dealing with Alex at all, or if it's just some case of mistaken identity on the heels of the revelation that the search for Alex and Terrias got called off."

"Cynder is right," Ruby replied, "Let's keep things quiet until we have some more solid evidence. I want to go get Alex...but we're not even sure if it _is_ him."

"Even if it was," Eli said, "They're _long_ gone by now."

"They couldn't have gone far," Cynder replied, "Which is exactly why we have deep cover agents investigating the events that transpired. We'll find Alex, don't worry...we just gotta take our time."

Alpha Company's Hornet appeared over the Pacific Ocean, just off the coast of Chile, heading towards the distant, tropical island upon which Deitus' fortress sat. "Well, we're in the right place," Eli said, nodding ahead. In the center of the island, a tall mountain extended into the cloud cover, with the stormy clouds themselves circling around its peak like a vortex. Dotting the small island, and the encircling area, were dozens of Minor Beams, and the whole area was in dealing with a rampaging storm.

"Weather reports say that, since that island appeared, constant typhoons have ravaged the coast, leaving thousands homeless and hundreds, if not thousands, dead," Spyro replied

"Wonder if those Beams have anything to do with it," Ruby replied in a worried tone.

Spyo ignored, nodding towards Piermont, "Hey, Pierre...what's the game plan?"

"Cut through every last one of these _Filios Diaboli_ motherfuckers until they—and Deitus—are fucking _dead_."

"What if we run into Vergil?" Rocket asked.

"That fucker dies, too..." the dragon answered coldly.

"Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?" Aria, who was piloting the machine, asked, "This is very dangerous..."

"I will avenge Cherub, even if it kills me," Piermont hissed.

"And kills everyone else," Spyro whispered to Cynder, who sighed and nodded.

Finally, the machine reached the island, and Aria carefully lowered it onto the sandy beaches, evading anti-aircraft weaponry from unseen positions, and depositing the machine's occupants. Upon Alpha Company's landing on the white sands, friendly forces supplied cover fire from the sea, sending landing craft full of additional troops to the beach. The palm tree forests were tangled, overgrown, and unnaturally thick, more than likely corrupted by the Lifehunter's presence. Almost immediately upon landing, Thralls and Imps rocketed out of the forest to engage...but there was a surprisingly lack of the shadow-demons themselves.

"Okay," Sam began over Alpha's communication line, "Some good news for you."

"What is it, Sam?" Spyro asked impatiently, attacking nearby Thrall.

"The island sits upon a bed of limestone, except for around the volcano holding the castle."

"Which means what?"

"The shadow guys can't mist through limestone, meaning you shouldn't have to worry much about them until you actually _reach_ the volcano."

"Is the volcano active?" Ruby asked, swiping a cluster of Imps out of the sky with her hydrokinetic abilities.

"Yeah, but I don't think it'll erupt as long as Deitus is there." 

"He has control over nature?" Spyro asked.

"A little bit...that's why all those trees are so gnarled and overgrown."

"Since when did Deitus care about nature conservation!?" Cynder asked, "Seems kinda ironic coming from the self-titled 'Lifehunter'."

"Probably because those trees add incredible defensive capability to his fortress...the more secure the better. Anyway, Deitus' castle is positioned just inside the volcanic crater in the center of the island...you'll have to fight your way through the jungle to get there. Hard telling what other little surprises you'll find waiting there...we're in his territory now."

"There's no place to move our armor through!" a captain, standing behind the mutant division, called out over his radio, likely addressing Command back in New Alexandria, "Every time we cut those branches, they just grow right back! There's no room for our armor!"

Alpha Company turned again to face the beachhead, where demolitions crews were working to try and clear out the unnaturally tight treeline to open a path for friendly armor and forces. Just like the captain had reported however, every time a gap was made in the forest, it would almost immediately grow back as nearby tree branches grew and twisted to block the path. Occasionally some friendly units were trapped within, shortly before they were impaled by the rapidly growing trees and carried into the sky.

"Guess the element of surprise is out of the question," Spyro frowned, flaming an Imp that had begun charging towards him. "Pierre, we _really_ should consider pulling back..."

"NO!" the dragon hissed, "Not until I avenge Cherub!"

"We're ill-equipped right now!" the purple dragon exclaimed, "We don't even have much of an invasion force, and our numbers are far from organized. So far everything we do is pointless, we need to make an appropriate plan and take our time, else this will become another _Operation: EVE I_ or Charity Hill!"

"Charity Hill was Plastro's arrogance, _EVE I_ was Alex outrageous reaction to discovering where Eden was docked."

"And you're following in the exact same footsteps!"

"Don't question me, Spearow!" Piermont growled, "Or I will kill you, too, you insubordinate prick!" and the dragon rocketed into the skies to engage the highly concentrated number of Imps, leaving the rest of Alpha Company and the _Commander's Wing_ to engage the Thralls pouring out of the forest. Occasionally, the trees would bend or twist in unusual ways to make room for Deitus' forces to charge from, and Spyro set to work on trying to figure out how to take advantage of this to open a path for friendly forces to advance.

"I got an idea," Jazz chuckled, "We could _Agent Orange_ the whole expanse, that oughta work for us."

"Given how quickly these tress grow back, I don't think defoliant will work," Spyro replied, "Even if it did, we don't necessarily have a stockpile of that shit."

"We have napalm, that's all we need."

Suddenly, an inhuman growl sounded throughout the island, silencing the Terminator forces trying to fight their way across the beach, "What the hell was that?" Scarlet asked, scanning the surrounding area with her sniper. Directly in front of Alpha Company, the trees parted and two zombie-like humans stumbled towards them. Their skin was a ashen gray, black ichor poured from gaping wounds in their body, and they were almost entirely nude, wearing scraps of clothing. Without a moment's hesitation, the Terminator forces fired towards the lumbering creatures, but they continued forward, unfazed by the attacks. Once they had reached the unit, they doubled over with inhuman moans, shortly before the upper halves of their bodies exploded, revealing clumps of writhing tentacles, much like the unit had encountered in Afghanistan.

Flamethrower tanks appeared behind the mutant division, and they hit the ground as the machines sprayed liquid fire onto the creatures, hissing and screeching in pain before collapsing to the ground and writhing about in terror, screeching relentlessly until they stilled. Several more appeared diseased humans crawled from the forest, transforming shortly after and mass-attacking and overwhelming the flame tanks. In addition to these unholy beings, the shadowy, skeletal _Filios Diaboli_ shadow knights had arrived as well, charging out of the demonic forest to engage the Terminator forces. The Imps gathered and maintained aerial superiority, grounding the _Commander's Wing_ , and Alpha Company was outnumbered by the various types of _Filios Diaboli_ forces dozens to one, and Deitus' forces were slowly pushing the Terminator invaders back towards the sea.

"NO MERCY!" Piermont roared, rushing forward into the fray, "FIGHT BACK AND TAKE THEM _ALL_ DOWN!"

"Piermont!" Spyro exclaimed, "If we stay here we're going to die!"

"I don't care!" he hissed back, "For Cherub!"

"This isn't going to bring Cherub back!" Spyro growled, "All it's gonna do is kill everyone else here! We need to pull back _now_! We can return later once we're more organized!"

" _NO!_ "

Ruby's eyes snapped back and forth between the angry purple dragon and the maddened Martaanean dragon before, with a growl, she called over them _both_ , "Pull out! We're leaving!"

" _WHAT!?_ " Piermont growled, pouncing upon and tackling the dolphin to the ground, his jaws snapping towards her, "We are _NOT_ leaving!"

Baring her teeth, Ruby called upon the sea with her hydrokinesis, forming watery tentacles which stabbed forward, wrapping themselves around the flailing Piermont's limbs and forcefully pulling him off of her.

"What are you _DOING!?_ " the dragon hissed.

"I'm saving all of us!" she replied, turning to watch as _Filios Diaboli_ approached and surrounded her. She closed her eyes, calling upon more tentacles to surround her, swiping at and impaling the enemy forces encircling her. Once they were taken down, Ruby stomped towards the restrained Piermont, snarling and biting, trying to wrestle free from her restraints, "You best settle down, I'm _not_ going to let you kill everyone here in your maddened rampage."

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" the dragon snarled, writhing and tearing, "I WILL FUCKING _KILL_ YOU!"

She slowly backed away, holding and maintaining the restraints trapping the Martaanean dragon, "This isn't you," she replied, shortly before being tackled to the ground by one of the shambling, diseased creatures. It sat upon her, snapping and hissing at her, diving towards her neck and throat. She held it back, refusing to let it reach her until, finally summoning the strength, she called upon the watery tentacles to impale the beast and tear it in two. Safe once again, Ruby picked herself up, not even having a chance to respond as she heard a maddened scream from behind her. She turned to watch Piermont racing towards her, foaming at the mouth, eyes alight with a maddened glow. On reflex, called upon the water to stab forward, and Piermont's maddened snarl quickly dissolved as the tentacle tore through his stomach and out his back, effectively impaling him.

Only after realizing what she had done did she quickly withdraw her control over the water and the dragon fell clumsily to the ground, laying still.

"Piermont..." the dolphin whispered, running towards him and kneeling by his side. The mad light in his eyes had transformed into one of terror and pain, and he was breathing heavily, limb pressed to the wound in his chest. Without a word, she gently placed a fin over the wound and the blue sparks of healing danced across her body, trailing down to the point of contact and dispersing throughout the dragon's body. "What do we do now?" Cynder exclaimed, stepping away as the overwhelming number of _Filios Diaboli_ forces crawled closer to them, "Ruby!?"

"Fall back," she replied, voice almost too small to be heard, then, in a much stronger voice, "We're pulling out! Fall back!"

Without a moment's hesitation, the Terminator forces fell back to the sea, preparing to pull out of the area. Aria tossed the dolphin a small vial containing a dark red fluid—the same chemical that had been used on the dolphin the previous year to force her into a human form—and Ruby injected its contents into the Martaanean dragon's neck. The stress of transformation knocked Piermont out of consciousness, and Ruby picked him up, throwing him over her shoulder and heading to where their Hornet was hovering preparing to evacuate. The dolphin helped the unconscious, human-form dragon into the machine, climbing in herself just as Spyro closed the door and the Hornet slowly began to rise into the air, blowing the sand in a cloud below. Rapid mounted the Gatling gun affixed to the side of the machine,supplying cover fire against the Imps while Aria took off over the torrent below them.

As they rode over the ocean, waiting until they got rid of the pursuing Imps before warping to New Alexandria, Ruby leaned against the side of the Hornet, looking out over the endless sea through a window, lost in thought. Occasionally she would send a passing glance to where Piermont lay, still unconscious, with Rapid tending to his injuries, Jazz having taken up the skunk's place at the gun. "Is he okay?" Ruby asked the skunk.

Rapid nodded, "He'll be fine...he's Alpha Company."

Begrudgingly, Spyro said, "Thanks, Ruby...we would have been killed if we stayed there much longer."

The dolphin nodded, and Cynder added, "Told you we wouldn't have anything to worry about."

The purple dragon frowned towards his mate, "I'm still going to give it a few weeks to know for sure whether she's impervious to the corruption of power like I apparently was..." all eyes glared at him following this response, and he, with a sigh, looked away in submission.

"So, question," Jazz asked, falling back inside the aircraft and slamming the door shut, taking a seat across from Ruby, "How are we gonna hope to take down Deitus if we're up against _that_?"

"I think we'll fare much better once we can get some more numbers and some organization in our ranks," Ruby replied, "I'll talk to Heinrich and try to see about organizing a full-on invasion in the coming weeks or months. As we stand right now, we don't have a chance, but at least we got to see roughly what we're up against."

"Those trees...what the hell was going on with those trees?" Rapid asked, surprising the others of Alpha Company with his use of language, "It's like they were alive..."

"They may _have_ been," Cynder replied, "I'm sure Deitus will do whatever it takes to ensure that he remains as secure and safe as possible."

"Yet he's the one that wants to put us into the fuckin' ground," Jazz replied, "Which reminds me, for supposedly waiting an eternity to slaughter us and being impatient to do so, he's sure taking his damn time."

"Agree, but I'm not complaining," Rapid replied.

"Now onto more important matters," Cynder began, "Finding Alex."

"I hope that we can..." Ruby frowned.

"We will, don't worry," the she-dragon replied, smiling and hugging the dolphin, "We're closer now than ever before."

"You think that was him on the news?"

"They even said so," Dash replied, "Why wouldn't it be."

"It also said that it was a man and a woman..." Ruby replied, "You don't think he..." silence for several moments, "Never mind...just...forget I said anything."

Dash stared out the window as the Hornet emerged out of slipspace above New Alexandria, "Ah..." she began, "Home sweet home."


	36. Chapter XXXV: Homesick

_**Chapter XXXV**_ **:**

 **-''Homesick''-**

 **-Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico-**

 **- _24 March 2016_ -**

 **- _2319 Hours_ -**

 _Alex awakens in a beautiful valley, sitting up and looking around. It is night time, the only ambiance is a babbling creek that snakes throughout, and up in the skies above,_ Aurora Borealis _illuminates the valley in a soft green hue. He stands up, anxiously looking around, trying to figure out what is going on. The valley itself is enclosed all around by tall cliffs and mountains, with small pockets of woods sitting in the corners and clusters of trees dotting the hilly land around him. The temperature is warm, pleasant, and he is at first unaware that he is dreaming._

" _Alex?" a voice from behind him begins, sweet and soft to his ears, and he instantly turns to see Ruby standing behind him, the dolphin wearing a loving smile. Alex slowly approaches his smiling lover, weary of any sign of betrayal. "It's me," she says, running up to embracing him, crying into his chest, "Thank God you are all right..."_

" _Ruby..." he begins, near tears, "I've missed you..."_

" _Me, too..." she replies, "Me, too..."_

" _Hopefully it won't be long, lover..."_

" _On the television...was that you? Was it_ really _you being chased?"_

 _He nods, "I...I think."_

 _She frowns, "Who was the girl?"_

" _A friend of mine," he replies, "She and her family have been taking care of me."_

" _Why are you hiding from us? Why are you hiding from_ me? _"_

" _To keep you safe...I'm afraid that if we try to go back, the feds will chase us down, and we'll be taken away forever."_

 _Ruby caresses his cheek, "Alex, tell me where you are...at least me...so that I can come to you, so that I can be_ with _you. If you're going to hide, let us hide together."_

 _He smiles, "I would want nothing more..." and as he leans in to tell her..._

...Alex's eyes shot open, and he found himself tangled in his bedroll, still within the innermost reaches of Avione. With a grunt, he shifted his position to try and go back to sleep, hoping that he was once more taken to the valley to speak with his beloved...but just as he began to relax, he was aware of something else that was off, something else missing. He sat up, looking around and trying to decide what was missing.

After several minutes, he finally realized what was off...Kira was nowhere to be found. There was a light rustling and the Commander's head snapped to the left, where he saw a dark shadow sneaking past the archway leading into the rest of the commons. Picking up his spear, laying beside him, he quietly slipped out of bed, sneaking towards the arch and poking his head outside, looking around. That dark form vanished into the tunnels leading outside, and in the dismal light, he could just barely make out the form as belonging to the harpy.

Glancing around to ensure there was no one else around him, he quickly but quietly raced through the room, slipping into the tunnels and following them until he emerged outside. The desert was very cold, a light snow began to fall down from the heavens, and a bitterly cold wind rushed past the scantily clad Commander, wearing only a loin cloth with a beard covering the top half of his chest and hair hanging down to his shoulders. He quietly followed the harpy's footsteps, turning a corner to watch her slip into a small niche within the mountain. He followed her in, going through several snaking passages before emerging out into a room that overlooked the desert. Kira had sat down on the floor, legs dangling over the cliff, her back to the Commander.

He quietly and slowly approached the harpy, taking a seat beside her and asking, "Is everything okay?"

"What the hell do you want, dumbass?" she replied.

"Are you okay?"

She fell silent for several moments before sighing, "It's nothing you need to worry about, stupid."

"You can talk to me."

More silence before finally, "Remembering my sister..." and she looked down at a small medallion around her neck, something that Alex had noticed but never sought to ask about. She gently took it off, examining the small, flat, coin-shaped piece of polished stone, saying, "She died a long time ago."

"Elder Amery told me about her," Alex replied, "I'm sorry."

Kira smirked, "Look at you...pretending to care."

"I _do_ care."

She turned to face him, hurt in her eyes, "And why? You didn't know her, it was your kind that killed her!" 

"Because you're my friend."

Grimacing, she hissed towards him, "I don't need your friendship, and I don't need your pity. You're just an idiot, nothing more."

"Perhaps I am...but if something's bothering you, I'm willing to listen."

"You'll just be a judgmental asshole," she scoffed, "You don't care about me, you don't care about Avione, you just care about yourself, just like every other fucking human in the world."

"I am _not_ your average human," he replied bitterly, "And believe it or not, I actually do care. If something bothers you, then it worries me, too."

"Why do you care? And don't give me that 'we're friends' bullshit, because I _know_ that's a lie, dumbass."

"I'm not most humans..." he replied firmly, "And most humans _aren't_ bad. There's a lot of bad ones, true, but not _all_ of us are cruel and evil...I know I'm not. You can trust me."

She merely scoffed again, looking back towards the desert, "Just...leave me alone."

Alex only remained in place, sitting down, looking out over the desert with her. After several minutes of silence, Kira began in an uncharacteristically small voice, "My older sister, Amy...was like my best friend..." the harpy clutched the small medallion tightly, and squeezing it in her avian hands, "We did everything together. As we grew older, she became very rebellious, and when the time came for the Proving, she wouldn't settle for just any other old harpy...she wanted to be different, to stand out...she wanted to go out and find a human. One night, she just...left without a trace, and didn't come back home for almost a year. When she finally returned, he had a young human man with her...claiming that they were deeply in love, and had been since they met eight months earlier...they had been married, which was a human ceremony, and she had brought him back to Avione to ensure his entrance into the tribe.

"I knew there was something wrong with that human...Elder Amery did, too...he was... _too_ nice, _too_ well-mannered. Several times he would find him in the hatchery, but he'd just claim that he wandered in there on accident while exploring the mountain. Then the day came where Amy laid her first clutch of eggs, the fruits of her love with this human. The human...changed...after that, he became much more short-tempered, much more reclusive, often he would spend days at a time lingering around the eggs. Amy just thought he was proud to be a father, waiting anxiously for them to hatch...but I knew that wasn't the case..." the harpy began to sniffle, and Alex was frightened to see that her expression was that of a little child, "I warned her that something wasn't right...I _warned_ her to keep an eye on the eggs, to not leave him around them alone...but she didn't listen, she called me jealous, paranoid, she _hit_ me, claiming that I was trying to get between her and her love, she told me to stay away from her, to stay away from her love life..."

"What happened?" Alex asked.

"Then one day, I heard a strange sound, like something crunchy being hit repeatedly while I was patrolling. I looked around for the sound, finally entering the hatchery when I saw him...that man had taken a stick and smashed _every single one_ of Amy's clutch, and was going to work on destroying the others, too. The man claimed to be a scientist, he said that he had discovered a new species, a scientific discovery that would bring him fame and fortune. I went to stop him, he hit me, I asked him why he was doing this, that I thought he _loved_ Amy. He got this stuck-up smile on his face and said that he didn't love her, that all he wanted was to see how our species survived, how we reproduced, how we lived. Elder Amery heard this and went in to attack him. He shoved her aside, grabbed his research, and fled out into the desert. I told Amy about this, but she said I was a liar, that I didn't understand their love because I was too young...and when I told her about what I saw in the hatchery, and I _showed_ her what happened, she accused _me_ of doing such a horrendous act, for being so jealous of her life that I would go so far as to murder her unborn children. She called me a monster, said that I deserved to die after doing such a horrific thing, she cursed me and my future progeny, and I...I just sat there and took it.

"She was still my sister...even though she didn't act like it...and I thought she was right..." Kira shook her head, "That night, Amy ran off into the desert, looking for her mate...I followed her, trying to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't have it. For three days, I chased them throughout the desert, desperately trying to talk some sense into my sister...staying by her side even as she cussed and cursed me. When we finally caught up to the man, we were just outside that human city you and I escaped from. Amy walked up to him, expressing her love for him, how I was a liar and trying to break them apart, and how she wanted to run off and live forever with him. He _hit_ her, threw her to the ground, and I remember her sitting there, in tears, begging for forgiveness, professing her undying love and loyalty for him.

"I...lost control of myself after that. I attacked him, I beat him relentlessly, taking out all my anger at him. Then Amy...she snuck up behind me and hit me in the head with her spear, cussing me out through tears, telling me that I had ruined _everything_ , that because of me, the human didn't trust her, that I had ruined her entire life. She said she hated me, she never wanted to see me again...and when I looked into her eyes, I saw that my best friend was gone...she had been so manipulated by this human, so perverted by his abuse over the course of their relationship, that she saw him a savior, and that I was some kind of devil trying to ruin her perfect little life. The man pulled out a gun and fired four shots into my sister's back...then he walked up to her, laying in a puddle of blood. She raised her hand to him, apologizing, and he put the gun against her forehead, shooting one last time. He picked up her spear, walked up to me, and hit me over and over and _over_ again. He called me every horrible name and curse that he could, and then when I tried to crawl away, he shot me..." here Alex watched as she gently and tenderly massaged a small scar beneath her left breast, something that he had always thought to be a birthmark.

She continued, "The police arrived then, they shot him dead before he could finish the job. Once he had fallen, they began to shoot towards me...I picked up Amy's body and I ran...even through the pain of my own injuries...I kept running. I don't know how long I ran until I finally returned to Avione. I had lost so much blood, was in so much pain, and I was so _tired_ , that I just...collapsed. For days I did nothing but sleep, everyone thought I was going to die...but when I survived, and I first crawled out of bed to explore...Elder Amery told me that Amy was dead, that she had been cremated, as was custom, and her ashes had been scattered into the desert. She told me that, when I was found, I was unconscious a mile away from Avione, laying in a puddle of my own dried blood, with my sister's half-decomposed corpse laying by side. After I told the elders what happened, Chief Aryana ordered that all humans living within Avione be executed."

"Humans used to live here?"

She nodded, "We can mate and reproduce with humans, and others in our tribe, although that's seen as incestuous due to our close ancestry with Archangel Messoremel. After the chief found out about what the human did, all the humans that did...almost half of the tribe...were slaughtered..." she squeezed her eyes shut, "I remember that night very well...the stench of blood that tainted the arena...the pained screams and sobs, the pleads for mercy...at the time, I was so numb from my sister's murder that I just sat there and watched. I watched as they were all lined up in a circle and the Chief cut their throats, one-by-one. Humans destroyed my family, took away my sister, and injured our tribe," she snarled, "They _all_ deserve to die!"

"Even me?" Alex replied bitterly.

She fell silent, saying nothing.

"Not _all_ humans are evil," Alex replied coldly, "I would have _never_ done such a thing, does that me I should die, too?"

She still said nothing, breathing deeply to control herself.

Shaking his head, the Commander walked around the room, angry, but trying not to show it.

"Why don't you leave?" she suddenly asked, attracting his attention. He turned to face her, noticing that her eyes were narrowed and full of hurt, "It's obvious that you don't think you belong here, it's obvious that you're unhappy...so why do you stay? We're not keeping you prisoner."

Alex remained silent, thinking over the question.

"You're not here for the tribe, you're not here for _me_ , why are you still here?"

He smirked, "I guess I'm here to hide. Like I told you back in the city, I'm being hunted by the police, they want my head on a fucking stick. So maybe the only reason why I'm here is because I'm safe and won't be found."

Kira visibly recoiled, obviously hurt by the admission, even though she said nothing.

"But I've reached a point now where I almost don't care anymore. I'm...numb...to everything...I can thank _you_ for that..." however, his expression softened, and he continued, "I realized that I was being selfish...and now I'm going to say that I'm here for Elder Amery, and for Terrias, because he sure as hell isn't going to leave Avery's side. I'm not going to leave just to please _you_ , I'm not going to give you the pleasure."

"You're a prick," she hissed, "An arrogant son of a bitch! I don't know why I ever even _thought_ you could be trusted! You've done nothing but prove that I was right the whole fucking time! You humans are _all_ the same!" her eyes narrowed, "But you...you are a _special_ kind of monster. I told you my fucking life story, and you sit there and spit on me for it, treat _me_ like _I'M_ the monster! How _dare_ you!" as she approached him, Alex pulled his spear out of the ground, readying himself for a fight. She stopped in place, eyes narrowing unhappily, "So...this is how you thank me for everything I've done for you...take advantage of me like this. You know what? Enough playing around, _kill_ me since I _know_ that's what you want to do...I don't fucking care anymore..." she collapsed to her knees, "Just...do it, get it over with."

"I'm not the monster that killed your sister..." and he tossed the spear aside. It clattered to the ground, sliding against the wall, "And you dug your _own_ grave by putting yourself in this position," without another word, he turned and walked away, heading back to the main chamber, leaving his spear—and Kira—behind.


	37. Chapter XXXVI: Confrontation

_**Chapter XXXVI**_ **:**

 **-''Confrontation''-**

 **-New Alexandria, Montana-**

 **- _25 March 2016_ -**

 **- _0819 Hours_ -**

Ruby examined herself in the bedroom mirror, what she did every morning. She felt defeated and unhappy...the previous night she had dreamed of Alex, of meeting him in a beautiful, starlit valley. Although she was asleep at the time, her subconscious mind _knew_ that it wasn't a dream, that she had _actually_ , somehow, made contact with her lover. This wasn't the first time it had happened either, but this time was definitely the clearest. What made her so depressed was that he was about to tell her where he was hiding, and she had gotten so excited over the prospect of running off with him, to live somewhere with just the two of them, waiting for the world to end around them.

Before he had been able to tell her, however, she had been awakened by a phone call from Heinrich, asking to set up a time to debrief following the disastrous attack on Deitus' stronghold. This was actually what she was readying herself to attend, feeling a gaping emptiness in her heart over the missed liaison with the love of her life. She felt so lonely and heartbroken, craving Alex's gentle touch, and all she really cared about anymore was finding him and being reunited with him.

Something else bothered her as well...when he had spoken to her through the realm of their shared dreamscape, he had told her that the girl he was reported to have been seen with was 'just a friend', yet there was something about this statement that seemed more convoluted than he claimed. She didn't necessarily think that they were lovers, but she couldn't help but shake the feeling that there was something else to their relationship. In addition to this, she began to develop and inexplicable, paranoid distrust of Alex...as if she knew something was going to happen, but didn't know when, where, or with who. She had also been dreaming a lot of her past as Archangel Vitam, every night, long-forgotten memories of her past awakened within the dolphin's mind. Most of these were small things: conversations, thoughts and emotions, but they were still, indubitably, Vitamel's memories.

As more and more of these dusty, ancient memories saw light again for the first time in thousands of years, various other random names that incited within the dolphin a certain jealousy began to crop up without any rhyme or reason...names such as 'Avias' and 'Ophiel', names that shouldn't have had any real meaning, but somehow _did_. Often, she would wake up with the random thought that these unknown beings were alive and wandering the earth, likely with no memory of their past...other members of the _Old Regime_ that Alpha Company had yet to come across. She had done some research on her own, enlisting the help of Sam on a few occasions, but all she had really gathered was that Avias and Ophiel were the 'ascended' names of two women in the _Old Regime_ , former humans known as 'Kalmiya' and 'Ophelia' respectively. Further prodding uncovered that Ophiel, Messorem's keeper and housecarl, was responsible for the creation of the _Libro Morturom_ , although she was unable to use it before her death at the hands of Lucifer's forces, and Avias was said to be one of Messorem's many war conquests during the War in Heaven, given particular importance due to her acceptance into the _Old Regime_.

Ruby had _also_ uncovered that Messorem had fathered children with Avias, birthing a race of feathered human hybrids that ultimately became the harpies of common mythology. This revelation only fueled Ruby's jealousy, since, with the _Old Regime's_ history repeating itself, it meant that Alex was ultimately destined to mate with her reincarnation and accept her into the ranks of Alpha Company. It was the reincarnation of this woman that Ruby believed to be the one Alex had been seen running around with during his rampage through Blackgorge, and the main reason for her jealousy and distrust of Alex's claim that she was only ' _a friend_ '. Still, she had no evidence to prove this theory, and so her distrust of her soul mate's intentions and loyalty was without base. Unfortunately, she knew Alex a little too well, and if this woman spread her thighs for him, there was no doubt that Alex would cash in on the opportunity, it was his nature. She knew she didn't really have much room to talk, given dolphins' infamously sexual nature, despite the fact that she, herself, had only ever claimed two mates: Alex and Sapphire, and even then only _Alex_ was the one she genuinely considered to be her lover, a topic of much debate between he and Sapphire shortly after the latter joined Alpha Company.

Since then, Sapphire and Alex's rivalry and competition for the dolphin cow's affections had diminished considerably, likely because they had reached a resolution and peaceful compromise, sealing their bond in the manner that almost _all_ dolphins did...sexual gratification. Even though she had two mates to claim, Alex had several: including Sylvia, Cynder, Dash, herself, Sapphire, Piermont (technically speaking, given their past), Spyro, _possibly_ Terrias, and now this woman, this...Avias. The exploration into her mate's potential infidelity _did_ relieve her in _one_ way at least...with her anger at Alex's infamously polygamous lifestyle, she found this combated her crippling and almost depressive desire to reunite with him, ironically easing her stress by increasing her largely baseless jealousy. She only hoped that her doubt didn't harm or question their relationship _too_ much upon their imminent reunion, that it would be mostly forgotten once she reentered his proximity, which it very well could have since he had a way of easing her worries.

With a sigh, she rubbed her temples, exhausted. The stress of managing the Terminator Militia was already taking its toll on her, despite the fact that she hadn't really _done_ too much. On the bright side, her mental state had improved greatly since she had met Lucy at the asylum and was surprisingly strong, holding out against the increased stress...at least for now, and aside from Spyro and Piermont's decidedly divisive personalities, Alpha Company had seen a certain unity that it hadn't had since shortly before the Reapers had claimed Alex as their slave. With a grim smile and a sigh, Ruby splashed her face before exiting her bedroom, hurrying downstairs and outside the house to meet with Heinrich in the military district's command center.

By the time she arrived, she was five minutes late to the meeting and Heinrich had already started debriefing the rest of the Terminator High Command sans Piermont and Spyro. "About time you showed up, Ruby," Heinrich smirked, "Punctuality is obviously not your strong suit."

"Leave her alone Heinrich," Cynder replied bitterly, "If it weren't for her we'd be dead already."

"So I've heard..." the general approached the dolphin, "So, I hear that you boys had it kinda rough in South America...hell happened down there?"

"Deitus' level of security was a lot higher and his honor guard were a lot more numerous than we originally thought," the dolphin replied, "As disorganized as we were, the results of the battle would have been disastrous had we stayed."

"Oh, and Piermont lost his fucking mind," Cynder replied, "There's that, too."

Ruby frowned, "I wasn't going to bring that up."

"Why? That's kinda important..." the dragoness turned to face Heinrich, "As long as Piermont remains as unstable as he is, it's imperative that we do not put him on the frontlines, nor should we let him have _any_ say in operational planning. He could have gotten us killed if Ruby wouldn't have jumped in to save us."

"Interesting," the general replied, "Isn't Piermont the commander right now?"

Dash scoffed, "Not in this state he isn't, we have unanimously decided to put Ruby in command."

"Oh?" Heinrich asked, feigning interest, "And why would you decided something like that, if you don't mind me asking, our dolphin friend here has quite the history of neuroticism, manic-depression, and schizophrenia...yet she's in a better emotional state than Piermont, one of the oldest, most respected members in not just Alpha Company and the High Command, but the Terminator Miltia as a whole."

"Sir," Cynder began, "Pierre hasn't been the same since the Reapers indoctrinated Alex last year...he's been in a downward spiral since, and he basically jumped off the fucking cliff when Cherub was K.I.A."

"So Commander Piermont has rogued out, finally gone berserk, huh?"

"I wouldn't say that, necessarily," Dash replied, "But he definitelyneeds a vacation, at least for a few weeks...preferably longer...until he has a chance to sort out his life."

"What about Commander Spyro? He _was_ Alex's chosen second-in-command, was he not? Where is he in all of this?"

"Disgraced and demoted," Dash smirked, "Bitch deserved it, too. He was a dick to Ruby and to _all_ of us, power went to his head. He's chiefly responsible for this huge divide in Alpha Company that Ruby has so far done wonders of mending. Even if you or Alex _don't_ decide to officialize it, he _personally_ stepped down from the position."

"So what makes Ruby so special, hmm?" Heinrich asked, "I mean, we have so many other, older, more experienced members of Alpha Company and the High Command, why choose Ruby?"

"Because," Cynder began, "As Alex's mate, she's had more one-on-one experience in both her own training and the training of others than anyone else. Even if he didn't _directly_ train her for such a responsibility, she understands his job more than anyone else since they're always clinging onto each other, and before you say anything, Ruby's doing a damn fine job of it, too."

"Why not some of the more senior members?"

"Hell you talking about?" Dash spat, "The responsibility of commanding the militia isn't chosen by who's been here the longest, it's determined by who's the most capable. Yes there are several other members _more_ than capable of doing the job, but they don't want the responsibility, they turned it down, so we gave it to Ruby."

"Who did you go through?"

"We asked several people," Cynder continued, "We asked Rapid, myself, Sonic, _and_ Simba...they all turned it down."

"Interesting..."

"What's so interesting about it?" Dash growled, eyes narrowed, "We know what we're doing."

"Oh, no, no, no, of course you do!" Heinrich replied, wearing a smug grin, "You are doing wonderfully, I'm just merely asking you to explain your choices. Being able to support your decisions with facts and observations in the face of doubt and questioning is important to being a successful soldier, that's all I'm trying to do. Anyway, thank you for your report, and I will get back to you if anything else comes up, enjoy the rest of your day," and Heinrich walked away, heading back towards his office at the far end of the command center.

As the High Command exited the command center into the warm, sunny day, the music of the _nebelwerfers_ test firing and countless recruits running through P.T and the shooting range adding to the cheery ambiance of the morning, Dash snorted, "I fucking hate that bastard."

"Don't we all," Cynder replied in an irritated tone, "Heinrich is such an asshole."

"Yeah, I just wish I could knock that smug smile off his ugly-ass face," Dash spat, blowing her mane out of her eyes.

"Makes me miss Elliot," Ruby sighed, "He was so nice."

"Ha!" Dash exclaimed, "Elliot could be a real pain in the ass, too, but at least he was justified. He did one hell of a good job, something that Heinrich _isn't_ so good at, and at least it was _possible_ to please him. He had some high fuckin' standards, but they weren't unachievable, and if you could match those standards, he was impressed as hell and wasn't afraid to tell you that."

"Go figure, Spyro decided not to show up," Ruby frowned.

"Course not!" Dash exclaimed, "He's a pussy!"

"Guys..." Cynder began with a sigh, "Stop..."

"It's true is it not?" the pegasus continued, "I've lost a _lot_ of respect for him."

"Before or after he left us for dead on Martaan?" Ruby asked with a grin.

"Oh, honey, long before. I started hating that motherfucker back when he treated us like we were morons and he was the Messiah returned after the Reapers snagged Alex."

"Guys, c'mon," Cynder replied, "Leave him alone."

"Anyway..." Dash began, "So now what?"

"Hell if I know," Cynder replied, stretching, "Thinking about laying down and taking a nap, I'm sleepy."

"Oh c'mon! You're so boring, Cyn!"

"Hey, you have no room to talk, Dash, you're _always_ napping!"

"Well, while you guys figure that out, I think I'm going to pay a visit to the hospital," Ruby replied with a sigh.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Want to go see Piermont, make sure he's doing all right."

"Uh..." Dash began, "You sure that's a good idea? I mean, he looked like he was more than willing to unzip you and lay out your guts..."

"I'm sure," Ruby replied, "He's just...going through some hard times and I want him to know that he still has people there for him."

"Rubes..." Dash responded, "I think ol' Pierre is _long_ gone..."

" _I_ still have some hope left for him," the dolphin replied, "You guys are welcome to come with me if you'd like...or not, I don't really care which."

"Okay then...you're grave, dude."

"I need to go find Spyro," Cynder sighed, "See where he ran off to _this_ time. He was _supposed_ to be at that meeting."

"I'll see you guys later then," Ruby said.

"Yup," Dash replied, rocketing forward and back towards their house, Cynder taking to the skies and following behind.

The dolphin slowly and quietly walked to Piermont's bed, pulling aside the divider to find the dragon, still trapped in his human form, barely conscious and connected to several machines. Upon his eyes falling upon her, he snarled in disgust but said nothing, and Ruby gently placed a fin upon his legs, frowning unhappily. "I'm sorry for hurting you..." she said.

No response, only that furious glare.

"You attacked me and I..." she shook her head, "I had no choice, it was the first thing to come to mind. I was scared, and I'm sorry."

Nothing.

"Can you hear me?" she asked, cocking her head towards him, "Do you even know who I am?"

Silence.

Ruby's face adopted a heartbroken expression and she gently squeezed his hand, laying sprawled out to his side. Instantly, his grip tightened painfully around her, and she cried out in alarm as he pulled her body close, shooting up in bed and snarling towards her, baring his teeth and breathing heavily. Ruby remained frozen to the spot in fear, unsure of what to do, "Please...!" she whispered, "Don't! I'm on your side! I'm on _your side_!"

After several tense moments, he laid back down, shoving her back against the wall, glaring angrily at her. She waited several moments until she had caught her breath before picking herself up and slowly backing towards the door.

Outside in the halls, Ruby wandered over the receptionist's desk, asking, "How is Piermont doing?"

The receptionist, a young, teenage girl, merely shrugged, saying nothing.

"Hello there!" a cheery voice spoke behind her, and Ruby turned to face Piermont's doctor, an aging woman of late forties, "Are you here for Piermont?"

Ruby nodded, "How is he doing?"

"Well, we're sending him home tonight, I already called General Heinrich about that, he said he would have Alpha Company here to pick him up in a few hours. He's not ready to go yet but he will be later tonight."

"Is he okay?"

The doctor nodded, "Yeah, he's showing signs of schizophrenia and posttraumatic stress disorder, but we have a prescription for him so he should be good to go soon."

Ruby nodded, "Well...uh...give him my love, let him know that Alpha Company is thinking about him."

The doctor nodded before leaving to attend to one of her other patients. Ruby, catching her breath and nervously rubbing her temples, left the hospital, heading back to Alpha Company's estate.


	38. Chapter XXXVII: The Proving

_**Chapter XXXVII**_ **:**

 **-''The Proving''-**

 **-Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico-**

 **- _25 March 2016_ -**

 **- _0721 Hours_ -**

Alex packed a small pack Amery had given him with food and supplies, plentiful enough to allow him to get back to civilization. His plan was to return to New Alexandria, pick up Ruby, then disappear once again, to start a new life with only he and the dolphin. Terrias had long since wandered off, and the Commander had decided not to tell Terrias about his plan _or_ of the events that had transpired the previous night. As he stuffed the sack with the last packages of meat and spices he had yet to pack, his eyes turned to the corner where the spear Kira had crafted for him had somehow, inexplicably, been returned. He snorted, turning his attention back to his pack, Kira had been missing since the previous night. Avery, too, along with several others, had vanished.

In fact, the only person left remaining in the cave was Amery, who claimed to know what was going on but refused to tell. As he tossed his knapsack over his shoulder, preparing to leave, a tall, imposing stranger entered the room, and his eyes turned to face the visitor. Alex didn't recognize this being, appearing to be almost entirely avian, with a vaguely humanoid form, illustrating that the human-like qualities of the females, such as bare skin and breasts, proved simply to be an evolutionary tactic to attract the attention of human males, "Are you Alex?" the creature, clad in steel armor, and covered completely in feathers, with no bare, exposed skin anywhere, asked in a deep, male voice.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Arvenon, servant to Chief Aryana, I was told to send for a human named Alex, I can assume that is you?"

"You would assume correctly," the Commander asked, "What do you want?"

"Chief Aryana desires to see you personally...bring your spear," and he began to leave.

"What for?"

"I am not at liberty to say."

"Course not..." Alex growled, reluctantly setting aside his pack, picking up the spear, and following the birdman.

As they walked through the commons, heading to a large, stone door that Alex _had_ seen before, but never paid much attention to due to the fact it was always locked and never opened, the Commander asked, "So why haven't I seen you or this Chief Aryana before? Are there more tribes located elsewhere?"

"No," the creature replied, pausing at the door and placing one paw against a peculiar indentation set into the center of it, "But Avione extends beyond this tiny chamber, this is merely the entrance hall."

"There's more?" Alex asked, surprised, watching in awe as the door slowly began to open with a loud rumble, revealing more snaking, claustrophobic tunnels illuminated by torches placed high on the walls.

"Indeed there is," Arvenon continued, "But the other depths are closed off for non-tribesmen."

"So where are _we_ going then? Why does the Chief want me?"

"Once more, I cannot say, it isn't my place."

For several minutes, they navigated the labyrinthine corridors until they finally reached their destination, and Alex's jaw dropped. Stretching out before him was an immense room, an entirely subterranean, rectangular arena. Light shined down from cracks in the ceiling hundreds of feet above, and sitting on stone grandstands surrounding the sandy arena were hundreds upon hundreds, if not thousands, of harpies and birdmen, including hatchlings that played around together. The creatures talked among themselves in their native tongue, which the Commander could not identify. Near the rear of the auditorium, birdmen in ornate armor beat mightily upon massive drums in a ritualistic manner.

"Keep moving," Arvenon ordered sternly, nudging Alex forward into the room. As he crossed the arena to a mighty throne carved out of the stone walls at its head, covered in ornate runes and leather skins, with the hot, soft sand feeling pleasant against his bare feet, he was more than aware of every set of eyes focused solely on him. Looking around, he noticed there were no other humans here, and his eyes widened as he realized that he was the first human to be granted access in here since the great execution that Kira had mentioned the previous night. At the front of the room, seemingly as awestruck and overwhelmed as Alex, Terrias, clad only in the loincloth he had been given long ago, anxiously looked around, clutching his spear tightly. When his eyes fell upon the Commander, he nodded towards the young man.

"What a place, huh?" the servine chuckled, "Shit...I didn't realize there was more to Avione than meets the eye."

"What the hell is going on?" the Commander asked, "I don't like this."

Terrias shrugged, "Hell if I know, they just dragged me over here without any rhyme or reason...wouldn't tell me where or why."

"Same here."

Terrias then turned to face the throne, nodding ahead, "By the way, check out who's spectating..." and the Commander glanced over to where Terrias had pointed. He noticed that there were actually _three_ thrones here, of varying heights off the ground. Sitting in the center, in the tallest throne, was an old harpy woman, with graying feathers, adorned in an ornate, leather cloak, wielding a gilded spear, inlaid with gems. To her right, in the second tallest throne lay one of the male birdman that the Commander didn't initially know existed, wearing the same steel armor that the other males were. The only thing that set him apart from the others was his _own_ gilded spear, not nearly as ornate as the queen's. To the queen's left, in the shortest throne, lounged a very bored-looking Kira, her head resting in one avian hand resting on the arm of her throne, the other holding her spear erect and twirling it idly.

" _What_!?" Alex exclaimed, "What the hell is Kira doing...?"

Terrias chuckled, "She's the princess of the tribe, man...from what I've heard, the old woman is the tribe's chief, Aryana, the one covered completely in feathers is her mate...and apparently brother...Oerovarth, and Kira is their daughter."

Aryana raised her spear to the sky and the crowd instantly fell into an uncomfortable silence, remaining this way for several awkward seconds. As soon as this happened, two imposing birdmen shoved the duo to their knees, forcing them to kneel before the royal family of Avione. Finally, just as Alex began to grow restless, she spoke, voice old and cracking, but powerful and firm, "So, a human has made themselves at home for the first time in many years...one who seems to be honest, and seems to be faithful...one who, hopefully, will not show us the same pain and suffering that the last one did when he slaughtered my grandchildren and took away my oldest daughter. Human, what is your name?"

"Alex Vaughn..." the Commander replied, immediately tagging on, "You're Highness..."

"And lizard, what are you called?"

"Terrias," the servine replied, bowing his head respectfully, "My name is Terrias."

"Very well, you two may rise."

Exchanging awkward glances, they finally stood back onto their feet, and Alex's eyes darted back to Kira, who had stopped playing with her spear, having stuck it into the ground, and had turned her attention to the proceedings.

"Do you know why you are here, Hatchlings?"

Alex shook his head, "No, you're Highness, we were summoned here with no explanation."

"I hear that you are the reincarnation of Archreaper Messoremel?"

Alex nodded, "Indeed I am."

"You are aware of his importance in our culture and our ancestry?"

"Yes, you're Highness."

"Very good," then, "I have brought you here today so that you may earn your place as a member of our tribe and our family. To do so, you must participate in a ceremony known as the Proving, where your place in our society will be determined. You must fight in battle, fighting for your very lives, to prove your strength and to earn your place in our family. Bring them the elixir!"

A very small birdchild ran up to them, holding a clay platter with two small cups resting upon it. Both Alex and Terrias were instructed to take the cups and drink their contents, and upon giving them the cup, the small child ran off back to the crowd. Exchanging worried glances, Alex and Terrias downed the contents in a single gulp. Almost instantly, Alex felt strange, the light sharpened to blinding intensity, his heart beat powerfully in his ears, slowing, and he collapsed to the ground, vision spinning and gasping for breath. "What...the hell...is happening!?" he exclaimed, panicking.

"You have ingested a tea made from the _Alalanac_ herb. Its root is known for its toxicity, its leaf is known as an aphrodisiac. To prove your loyalty to the tribe, you must fight the poison in your body while simultaneously fighting and subduing one of our maidens. If you succeed, you will be cured of the toxin and be accepted as a member of our family, the maiden you subdued will determine your rank in the tribe. If you fail, then we will bury you with honors, as a martyr for our tribe's longevity..." then, "May the maidens present themselves to you!" and she waved her spear forward.

Two dozen heavily armored females, wielding weapons ranging from spears to swords to clubs stepped out onto the arena, standing in a line before the poisoned Alex and Terrias. All were muscular, sinister in appearance, and clearly trained for this day. At the end of the arena, Avery hastily scrambled out to get in line, putting on her helmet and standing straight, adjusting her steel tunic with an embarrassed smile. Terrias, struggling to summon his strength, pointed his spear towards the girl, saying through gasps, "You...Avery...I choose you."

The young harpy gleefully squealed like a schoolgirl, barely managing to contain herself as she rushed forward, standing before the servine, blushing. Aryana called, "Terrias has chosen Avery as his opponent...Alex, who do you choose?"

The Commander's eyes flickered back and forth between each of the remaining females, all looking sinister and aggressive. Gathering his strength, Alex called, "I can choose anyone here?"

Aryana nodded, "You may choose any that you see."

"Any that I see..." and with a small grin, he pointed his spear forward, past the group, "I choose her," the other females turned to face who he was pointing at, "I choose Kira."

Upon mentioning of her name, the harpy stiffened, eyes widened as she sat up in her chair, mouth contorting into a grimace of disgust and anger, "He can't do that!" she protested, "I'm not one of them!"

However, Aryana only smiled, nodding her head, "Very well, Alex has chosen my daughter, Kira, as his opponent."

" _WHAT!?_ " the harpy protested, furious, pulling her spear out of the ground and leaping into the air, with a decidedly raptor-like screech, landing firmly on the sands before the Commander and righting herself. Her eyes were full of spite and anger, and she cursed Alex beneath her breath. As the unchosen maidens returned to the grandstand, one offered her armor to the harpy, which Kira angrily rejected, instead taking up a second spear, "You bastard!" she hissed, "You have the nerve to challenge _ME_ after what you did to me last night!? You will pay for that, dumbass!"

"Kira..." Alex began in a hushed tone, "Listen, I...I can't beat you. I won't be able to."

"Then why did you choose me, idiot!?"

"Please, do me one small favor...throw this for me, I...I need medical help."

Kira's expression soured even more, "You selfish prick...this is the most important event in the entire lifespan of my race. Even if I actually _liked_ you, I _still_ would not throw this for you, and you're a dick for thinking otherwise."

"Please, Kira..."

"Don't 'please, Kira' me, asshole! You will regret this!" and she readied herself into an offensive stance, "If you want a victory, you better fucking earn it!"

"Let the ceremony commence!" Aryana called to the crowd, lowering her spear and falling silent.

The world was eerily quiet, not so much as a breath to be heard as the opponents circled each other around the arena. Alex struggled to hold his form beneath his illness, the blinding sunlight shining down from the sunlight disorienting him, his ears ringing with tinnitus and his limbs heavy, as if tied to lead. Kira held herself high and threatening, her grim, furious expression never changing. The harpy made the first move, a lunge, which Alex, remembering from their sessions, tried to evade, although his movements were clunky and unsteady, a direct result of the poison coursing through his veins. There was no way he was going to survive in this fight, he was too weak and disoriented, and Kira was much more skilled than other opponents he had faced in hand-to-hand combat, including 'Necro', Jazz, and most recently Zack.

As he concentrated on dodging the harpy's attacks, trying to find a weakness in her stance to exploit, he began to notice a peculiar, alien pattern in her attacks. She was restraining much of her aggression, much of her strategy, seemingly content on a more passive approach. Instead of overwhelming him with attacks to exhaust him, then deal the finishing blow when he was too weak to continue, she instead resorted to one or two attacks before falling back and circling him for a few minutes...waiting for something. What was she up to? What was her strategy? Surely she wasn't _wanting_ him to kill her...why was she fighting so slowly? Why wasn't she unleashing everything she had on him like she had done during their sessions? Was she waiting for the poison to do him in...then a dawning realization startled him... _why was she giving him a fair chance?_ The end result of this fight was almost surely death...so why was she acting so passively?

"The clock is ticking, dumbass," she replied in a low voice, just barely loud enough for him to hear, "Are you gonna fight or am I just gonna have to kill you?"

"Please, there's another way...we don't have to fight!"

"There is no other way, you either fight or die!"

The longer the fight continued, the longer she made rare attacks against him and Alex dodged, the more he began to notice her expression and stance changing. Her smirk of fury was slowly dissolving into one of inexplicable sadness and defeat, her shoulders sank, the way she held herself went from proud to surrender and submission...what the hell was going on? What was going through her head? She seemed to become increasingly distraught as the fight continued, even though Alex had made no attempts to so much as threaten her...becoming ever weaker and more exhausted.

"We're running out of time!" she hissed, voice strained, "What are you waiting for!? Fight me, dumbass!"

"I...I'm not gonna fight you..." Alex replied, gasping for breath at this point, "I'm not going to kill you."

"You don't _have_ to kill me!" she replied, "Fight!"

Finally, she squeezed her eyes shut, and the Commander could almost swear he saw a tear running down her face as she lunged towards him. Alex moved to dodge, but his heavy limbs refused to respond and her spear sliced through his ankle, instantly sending him falling to the ground. For several seconds, he lay on the sandy ground, the texture of the hot, soft sands pleasing against his aching back, the sun shining in his face, warming him. He could never recall feeling so tired as he did then, and he squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for Kira to deal the finishing blow...except it never came.

" _Get up_!" she hissed in a low voice, " _Don't give up! GET UP!_ "

"Kira..." he muttered, voice hoarse, mouth dry, "I'm sorry."

"For fuck's sake, _GET UP_ , dumbass!" and she abruptly smacked his stomach with the blunt end of her spear, knocking the wind out of him. He choked for air, rolling onto his knees and coughing, struggling to retrieve his lost breath. At last, he turned to face her, spying the harpy standing before him, dropping one of her spears and wearing a confused expression of pain and fear, shining trails down her cheeks from where she was crying in silence.

"Finish me..." he replied, "I'm tired...I'm tired of fighting."

"Get up or I will have to!" she hissed.

He said nothing, only closed his eyes, concentrating on breathing, which was becoming ever more difficult to do. It felt like a heavy weight was sitting on his chest, restricting his breath to shallow and unsteady gasps.

"Get up or I will _have_ to kill you!" she exclaimed, "God damn it! Don't be a pussy! Stand up and fight!"

"What's the point?" he sighed, "I'm dead anyway."

"Not if you actually _fight_ me!" she hissed, "If you win the fight, you get an antidote that will cure the poison...but _only_ if you actually fucking _FIGHT ME_ you goddamn pussy! Never _EVER_ give up! Now stand up and fight me! This is your last chance!"

"Why do you care?" he hissed between breaths, voice barbed, "You hate me anyway...finish me! Avenge your sister!"

"Don't bring her into this, cunt!" she hissed, "You're better than that!"

"I thought I was just every other homicidal human out there," he grimaced, "You openly despise me, so finish me off."

"I...I don't _hate_ you!" she hissed, voice strained, "Don't do this! Don't be an asshole!"

When he fell silent, looking towards the ground and accepting his fate, whispers began to break out among the crowd and Kira anxiously looked around. Behind them, Terrias finally managed to wound Avery with a slash to her chest, sending her down to the ground, out of breath. Squeezing her eyes shut as a fresh wave of tears slid silently down her brown cheeks, Kira brought her spear above her head to deal the killing blow.

"Why...?" she asked mournfully, "Why did you make me do this..." and as she brought the weapon down, Alex's head abruptly snapped up to face her, eyes glowing with a renewed, animalistic vigor as his primal instincts kicked in. He caught her weapon in mid thrust, tearing it free and, with a vicious growl, shoved his full weight into her, throwing her backwards. She landed with a grunt onto the ground, eyes wide open towards the maddened Commander, bearing his teeth in a snarl of anger. He stomped towards her, ready to attack, and Kira quickly pedaled away from him, retrieving the spear she had thrown down earlier and parrying his thrust. In a flash, she was on her feet once again, bracing herself against another lunge by her opponent. She parried this attack, too, strafing around behind to avoid a furious slash towards her. Each attack he commenced against her, coming in rapid successions, was accompanied by an angry growl, and she struggled to hold her own against his violent, unpredictable, highly aggressive behavior. Her expression was one of sheer terror and anxiety, the Commander had completely submitted to his primal instinct, and she didn't know if he would have enough humanity left in his blind rage to keep himself from killing her. He made a move to lunge, she answered with an attempted parry, but he feigned the attack, switching to a diagonal slash and catching her spear instead. He tore the weapon free from her hand, the spear clattering to the ground away from the harpy, and he prepared another lunge. She rolled beneath this attack, dodging the subsequent slashes and slicing open her wrist upon catching one of them.

She narrowly managed to dodge his wild and unrelenting combo of attacks before he feigned another slash, using her response to lunge the spear through her abdomen...the exact same location where she had been shot. She cried out in pain, falling to the ground and shielding her face against another, killing slash. However, he caught himself before the attack made contact, and his eyes cleared as his awareness returned. Horrified, he stared towards the wounded harpy, deeply frightened and bracing herself for the killing blow. Frightened by himself and disgusted, he dropped his weapon to the ground, quickly backstepping away from her and into Terrias as she weakly raised her bloody arm in surrender. He was startled by the sudden return of the massive drums at the top of the eerily silent auditorium, beating ritualistically once more.

"Both Alex and Terrias have subdued their opponents!" Aryana called over the beating of the drums, "Now, they must secure their position in our family, and mate with them before the eyes of the Gods."

Alex stiffened, jaw dropping, "Wh...what?"

Kira looked away in shame, resigned to her fate as she reached for her spear, carefully standing up, using the weapon to support, "Let's...get this over with..." but she seemed to be blushing slightly.

"I don't..." Alex shook his head, "What? I don't want to..."

A rustling sound from behind roused the Commander, and he turned to see Terrias discard his loincloth, his cloaca swelling until his two, blood-red hemipenes emerged from within, "We might as well..." the servine chuckled, approaching Avery, who blushed fiercely, looking away and raising her own loincloth to expose her cloaca to him. Alex turned to face Kira once more, embarrassed and frightened for what he was about to do.

"What are you waiting for?" Kira grimaced, and her blush deepened as she fiddled around with her loincloth, raising it to expose parts of her nether regions to him. Expression blank, retreating deeply into his mind to disassociate himself from what he was about to do...claiming _another_ mate, he dropped his own loincloth, feeling nothing in his nudity and slowly approaching her, leaning on his spear for support. She looked up to face him, then abruptly looked away, blushing like a schoolgirl at the sight of his penis, hard and erect, protruding from the tangle of black pubic hair along his thighs. Under scrutiny from the entirety of the Avione tribe, he stopped before Kira, the harpy gently throwing her arms around his neck and lifting herself towards him. She abruptly sat upon his erection, crying out and gasping at the pain of penetration, and Alex was aware of how tight and wet her body was, milking at him. Her blush intensified, and she couldn't even meet his eyes as she rocked against him, and Alex's attention turned from the female to the thousands of eyes glaring at him, observing his every move, observing every second his intimacy with the harpy, who sighed, squeaked, and writhed on him, _relishing_ in the act.

" _It's called 'tsundere'_ ," Terrias' words echoed through his mind, " _And yes, it exists..."_

The drums intensified as Alex neared his orgasm, with Kira's breathing ever more rapid and unsteady. Finally, she thrusted spastically against him in her own climax, crying out into his chest a she brought him to his own. In the aftermath of their session, both breathed heavily, Alex nearly knocked unconscious by the sheer intensity of his climax, struggling to remain standing. Kira pressed her sweaty body tightly against his own, their hearts beat as one, and she buried her head in his chest, her hot breath against his breast while her genitals continued to milk at him, massaging the entire length of his rapidly diminishing erection. When he finally pulled out, a mixture of blood, his seed, and her juices leaked out from her body, splattering onto the sand, and he glanced down at his flaccid penis, seeing it coated in blood and her fluids. "It is with great pleasure," Aryana began, "That I accept Alex and Terrias as our brothers and family, and I pray to the gods that they bare us healthy children to continue our rich culture and legacy!"

Terrias, clutching Avery in his arms, approached the Commander nudging him lightly in the arm and nodding ahead. Four birdmen entered the arena from behind the throne, standing to either side of the newly mated pairs and leading them off the arena and towards another tunnel continuing on behind the chamber. Alex nervously glanced towards Aryana, who merely smiled at him and nodded in approval. They entered a wide corridor, where dozens of birdmen lined either side, saluting the approaching couples.

"Kira..." Alex whispered to the harpy, stroking her hair as she nuzzled his chest, "I...I'm sorry..."

Her reply was soft and faint, but clear as crystal, " _I'm not_..."

At the end of the hall, the two couples were separated and guided into neighboring rooms. Upon Alex and Kira's entrance into theirs, the door slammed shut behind them, latching, and the Commander gently guided Kira to the single bed in a corner of the room. As he lowered her onto it, he examined the room they were in, small and cozy, illuminated solely by dozens of candles, with crevice near the wall allowing the sun to shine through, although little of the sunlight entered the room. Kira grabbed Alex's arm, biting him, and the Commander cried out in pain, falling back and clutching tightly to the injury,

"What the hell was _that_ for!?" he exclaimed, stunned speechless when his vision almost instantaneously cleared, the weight on his chest lessened considerably, his rapid heartbeat slowed to normal, his limbs lost their excess weight, and the pressure in his head released, returning his hearing to full capacity. He examined the mark she had left on his arm, perturbed to see it quickly swelling and reddening.

"My venom will neutralize the poison in your system," Kira replied, "Congratulations, dumbass, you survived the Proving," but she wore a faint smile.

"I'm sorry..." he replied, "I didn't mean to..."

"Don't worry about it," she replied, blushing and folding her hands in her lap, "I'm glad we did..."

"I thought you..."

She looked away, embarrassed, "I...I'm sorry for being such a jerk to you...I just..." she fell silent, laying back down and gently touching her genitals, "I never expected it to feel so good...I knew it would hurt but..."

"So what does this mean...now what do we do?"

"Well...tonight we have a feast, then for the next twenty-four hours, it's just you and me in this room together," she blushed again, "The intention is that the trauma of first penetration forces my body to start producing eggs, and all subsequent sessions we do in the next day or so will be to fertilize the eggs. You and I are a family now, and you are part of our tribe..." she smiled, "Plus, when the time comes and my parents die...you and I will inherit the tribe."

"So tell me something," the Commander began, "How _exactly_ do you feel about me? Was all that cruelty and bitchiness just a front then?"

She smiled sheepishly, "At first...no. Then I started to...develop feelings for you and I...I got scared. I remembered what happened to my sister and I was...I was afraid the same thing would happen to me. I'm sorry for not trusting you, I'm sorry for being so mean but I was just...I was scared."

"How long have you liked me?"

She shrugged, "I started...falling for you...when you attacked me the first time and you chose not to kill me. I don't know what happened, I just...something unlocked within me and I..." she rubbed her neck, "I can't explain it..." she smiled towards him again, "Do you forgive me?"

Alex looked away, unsure, "Honestly, I don't know what to feel...this is just...so sudden and I have no fucking idea what's going on and I..." she silenced him by kissing him on the mouth, hugging him tightly and pulling him down on the bed.

When she broke the kiss, she smiled towards him, "I've wanted to do that for quite some time now..."

He was speechless, driven silent and completely at a loss.

She quickly composed herself, taking on a ridiculously mellowed form of her former persona in an attempt to maintain some of her dignity, "So...um...yeah."

"Listen, Kira...I...I can't..." he sighed, looking away, "I can't do this..."

"What do you mean?" she asked, frowning.

"I have a girl back home...I fucked up in the past when I cheated on her, I can't...I can't lose her, too."

"I understand," Kira replied, placing an arm around his shoulders, "But, for now anyway, can you at least _pretend_ to love me?" she smiled mischievously, "This is...something very special, very memorable for my tribe...a right of passage that is considered the point where we finally become fully-fledged."

Alex chuckled, "I dunno, do you love me?"

She smiled towards him, playfully punching his shoulder, "Of course I do, dumbass. Why else do you think I let you win?"

"Oh, you _let_ me win?"

"Yeah, I could have kicked your ass from the beginning, but I didn't. You know why?"

"Why?"

"Because I love you, and I wanted to give you a fighting chance. I'm not a _complete_ bitch, despite what you might think."

An awkward silence fell between them then, remaining for several minutes before Alex asked with a sigh, "So...now that we're stuck in here...what now?"

She pulled him down onto the bed, undressing herself and climbing on top of him, "I think I can think of a few things..." and she closed her mouth with his in a kiss, "Thankfully, that magical little leaf you drank earlier jacks up your libido, meaning I can play with you as much as I want," she chuckled mischievously, rubbing his chest, her hands sliding down his belly and towards his crotch, which she groped, pulling close to her cloaca, still wet with the fluids from their first session, mixing with a fresh batch to provide lubrication for the fertilization of her eggs, "And we are gonna have some fun while we're stuck here."

"Guess I don't have much say in the matter?"

"No you don't, dumbass. It's just me and you...and I have a bunch of eggs that need fertilized, time to start a family together, time to be a daddy."

As she kissed him once again, sliding him her tongue and drawing an erection from him, which she then mounted, one thought crossed Alex's mind, a single name that echoed throughout, carrying with it a sense of familiarity and attraction...

 _Avias..._

They were interrupted by the creaking of the door to their room, and upon glancing up to face their visitor, they spied one of the birdman knights ushering them out of the room. Kira quickly dressed herself, standing up and walking towards the door, Alex following along behind her. They found Terrias standing outside with Avery, nodding towards them. "Tell you what," the servine began, trotting alongside beside the Commander, "I now understand why you like having more than one girl," he chuckled, "Shit...feels good to relieve the old loins after so much inactivity. Was kinda weird having to teach Avery actually _how_ to sex, since apparently she's not very good at it," the guards led both couples through the hall, escorting them back to the arena where they could just faintly hear the other tribesfolk chatting and a steady drum beat that trembled the very walls of the subterranean den.

"Sounds like you had a blast, Terrias," Alex replied, shaking his head.

"Hell yeah, I did. By the by, speaking of which, you looked like you were having some fun there yourself."

"What do you mean?" the Commander asked.

"Well...you were _really_ going to town at the end there, plowing Kira silly, man."

"Oh...great, glad I could serve to be some free porn to you, Terrias," Alex sighed.

"C'mon, you know I like that ass!" the Commander only shook his head.

"Are you two lovers, too?" Kira asked with a smirk, casting a glance back the duo. She was walking with Avery at the front of the group.

"Nah," Alex replied, "We're just... _really_ good friends."

"Sure," Terrias chuckled, "We're _just_ friends. You know you want my cocks, don't deny it. I could see you drooling over them earlier."

"I was drooling because I had poison coursing through my veins," Alex replied, shaking his head, "I promise you that."

"Uh huh...whatever you say, Alex."

"Jesus..." Kira scoffed, "Maybe _you_ two should have been the ones that fucked each other."

"I know right?" Terrias replied with a grin, "I keep trying to get Alex to fulfill the promise he made me awhile back but he absolutely refuses to...cause he's a dick."

"Who's on top?" Kira chuckled, and both Alex and Terrias commented on the affirmative.

"No you're not!" Terrias protested, " _I'm_ the one on top, remember? That was the deal. I go to prison for you and _you_ be my prison wife."

"I thought I was your prison _husband_?"

"Nope."

"Really? Coulda sworn you said _husband_ earlier."

"Hell no! I don't want anything up there! Nothing belongs in there!"

"Yeah? So why does stuff belong up _my_ ass then?"

"Well...you already got a stick up there, so an additional rod won't hurt much, will it?"

Both Kira and Avery burst into wild laughter, even their stoic, birdman escorts couldn't help but to grin and chuckle at the joke. "You know what?" Kira asked, "Just once, I want you two to go to town on each other while Avery and I watch."

"Heh...that might be able to be arranged," Terrias grinned, "Under the condition, of course, that you and Avery have a little fun with each other at the same time. Have one great big orgy."

"Not gonna happen," Kira replied, "I'm not attracted to females."

"Then you ain't gonna get some free gay porn between me and Alex, sorry."

"Jesus Christ..." Alex sighed, "You're not even Alpha Company yet and _already_ you fit in with us nicely."

"Aww," Kira replied, "How sweet."

"Yeah? Don't get used to it, mate."

"So...I got a question," Terrias asked, "Did you manage to get pregnant yet, Kira?"

The harpy blushed and grinned, "Not sure yet...I'll know in a few days."

"Well," and Terrias puffed out his chest, "With the amount of times I've pumped Avery full already, and an additional twenty-something hours to make her my bitch, if she doesn't get pregnant I'll be _genuinely_ surprised."

"T.M.I, mate," Alex replied, "Unnecessary information."

"Love you, honey."

"Fuck you."

"Yes, please."

They finally entered the arena where they had fought earlier, finding that tables had seating had been set up around the perimeter to accommodate every member of the surprisingly expansive Avione tribe. Food was constantly being delivered to the arena from the fires in the entrance hall, and a massive feast had been set up. Alex found Amery sitting beside Aryana and her mate at the head of the largest of the tables, with the elder waving the two new couples over to sit with them. "I'm so proud of you," Amery said, "To see the four of you grow so much so fast warms my old heart."

"Sister," Aryana began, "You were right to place your trust in these two younglings."

Amery nodded, "They are pure at heart, even though their mettle is bashed and battered after years of strain and tribulation."

"I welcome you both to our family," Aryana began, "It has been a long time since an outsider has become a part of our society, and I couldn't ask for better circumstances. To think that the reincarnation of Archangel Messoremel would appear in my lifetime...we truly are living in an era of prophecy fulfillment! It is an honor! Nay, a blessing! To live during such a long-awaited time!"

"Like I said, Kira," Avery began, grinning widely, "You really _are_ the reincarnation of Avias! Mating with Alex has proven that!"

"Indeed, it is a wonderful honor to acknowledge my daughter as the vessel for the mighty warrior spirit of Avias, and an even _greater_ honor to acknowledge the spirit of Messoremel returned as my son! I wish many a blessing upon you two in your lives," the old harpy chief grinned widely, toasting each and every one of them, " _And_ many children!"

This last statement brought on joyous laughter from the others at the table, and Alex only grinned, embarrassed, exchanging warm smiles and loving glances with Kira.

"Alas! With great pleasure, I acknowledge that Alex and Kira shall inherit my throne when my soul departs from this ailing vessel to return to Paradise! Blessed be the Archreaper!"

The others at the table uttered similar exclamations, toasting each other before turned to their meals. While Alex drank from his cup, he felt Kira's warm, avian hand slither into his own, clutching it tightly, and he turned to see her leaning into his side, tenderly caressing him.

The persistent drum beats soon evolved into exotic music as other harpies and birdmen joined into the fray with other, unknown instruments, playing along to fill the room with the sounds of merriment, laughter, and hope, drowning out the horrors of the impending apocalypse...at least temporarily.


	39. Chapter XXXVIII: Search and Rescue

_**Chapter XXXVIII**_ **:**

 **-''Search and Rescue''-**

 **-** **Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico** **-**

 **- _26 March 2016_ -**

 **- _0309 Hours_ -**

 _Alex wakes to find himself, once more, in the valley where he has seen Ruby several times before. After realizing where he is, he frantically looks around for any sign of the dolphin, wanting,_ needing _to talk to her, to tell her where he is. "Ruby!?" he calls into the silent night, eyes scanning across the world, illuminated in the light of the green and yellow_ Aurora Borealis _frozen in the skies above. "Ruby? Where are you?"_

 _He is suddenly aware of a very faint, soft sobbing, and he scans the area, trying to find it's source. Finally, his eyes fall upon a small form huddled in front of the creek, and he jogs over to her side, crouching down and holding the sobbing dolphin in his arms._

" _Ruby..." he begins, "What's wrong?"_

" _You lied to me..." she replies, in tears, "You have betrayed me..."_

" _What? How? I have done no such thing!"_

" _You cheated on me," she replies, "Slept with another woman...am I no longer good enough for you?"_

" _No! No, no, no! It's not that Ruby, I swear! I had no choice!"_

 _She casts him a distrustful glare, eyes swollen red, "Sarah was right to leave you! You claim to love a woman, only until you get everything you want from her, and then you leave her behind in pursuit of another. You are a special kind of monster!"_

" _No! It's not true, Ruby! I_ do _love you!"_

" _Your words say one thing, but your actions say another..." and she stands up, sniffling and turning away from him, "Enjoy spending your life with that bird woman...I hope she wakes up to realize just what kind of person you_ really _are..." and she walks away, slowly fading into the air._

" _NO!" Alex exclaims, chasing after her, "Ruby! Don't leave me! Please don't leave! I love you! I LOVE YOU!" but she fades completely into the night, and Alex, mortified and depressed beyond explanation, collapses to the ground, in shock, a gaping emptiness overtaking his heart. "Ruby...don't go...I love you..."_

...Alex's eyes shot open, stained with tears, and he frantically looked around, realizing that he was still in the small chamber with Kira, that he had only been dreaming. His eyes turn to face the sleeping harpy, curled against him, wearing a big smile in her dreams. Deciding the need to catch his breath and calm his mind, the nude Commander quietly slipped out of her arms, climbing out of bed and replacing his loin cloth, walking up to and scampering onto the crevice serving as a window into the room. The moon had begun its descent in the west, and the stars and moonlight in the deep blue sky illuminated the silhouettes of dunes and hills for as far as the eye could see.

He crossed his legs beneath him, sitting Indian style and peering out over the endless expanse, the cool breeze blowing past his body, chilling him to the bone. He struggled not to cry, wiping his eyes dry, he longed for Ruby, he wanted only to see her again, to feel her touch...he missed her deeply, he craved her presence. A gentle hand placed itself on his shoulders, and he turned to spy Kira sitting down, cross-legged beside him, leaning against his body, resting her head on his shoulder, "Alex...are you okay?" she asked him.

He shook his head, "Nightmares again..."

"Want to talk about it?"

He smirked, "You'll just think I'm pathetic."

"No I won't, I promise."

Silence for several moments before, "I dreamed of Ruby...my mate back at home. I miss her..."

"What is she like?"

"Most loving soul you could imagine," he smiled sadly, "I guess it's to be expected..." he frowned, "She is Vitam's reincarnation."

Kira stiffened, "Really?"

Alex nodded, "Yeah..."

"How much of the _Old Regime_ do you know?"

He shrugged, "I don't know...all I know is that Alpha Company, the army I left behind, embodies the reincarnations of every member of Messorem's _Old Regime_...and Ruby..." he shook his head, "God, I miss her, Kira."

"You love her?"

He nodded, "Of course I do...she's the sweetest thing you could ever meet...she loves me, too...and I can't help but feel like I betrayed her."

"Betrayed her? You mean mating with me?"

He nodded again, "I lost my human _fiance_ last year because of my polygamous ways...I can't lose Ruby, too."

"Does she know about Messorem's infidelity?"

"Yes, but at the same time, that doesn't justify an excuse for what we...what I...did."

"So why don't you go home to be with her?"

"You don't think I want to?" Alex sighed, "I can't...as long as the police are searching for me...to go home would only endanger not only Terrias and I...but Ruby and everyone else as well...they don't deserve that."

Kira frowned, looking away, "Listen...if you want to go home...you can. I won't keep you here...I can run Avione by myself."

"I'm not going to do that to you, Kira...I'm not _that_ cruel. Besides, even if I leave, I would make sure you found another mate before I did so."

She chuckled sadly, "Ah...but I won't _have_ another mate. You see...we're strictly monogamous, once we give ourselves to somebody, we're theirs until the end of time, even if they are killed or something else happens."

"Kira...I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to take away your chance to be happy...to have a family."

"Don't apologize," she replied, "It's not like I would have been happy even if you _hadn't_ chose me during the Proving..." she continued, blushing, "You had won my heart anyway..."

"What happens then if you lose your mate?"

"We take an oath of chastity and must spend the rest of our lives as advisers and teachers to younger members of the tribe. Basically, I would become what Elder Amery is. I wouldn't be able to go on hunts anymore, and with no mate to bear me young, I won't be able to take the throne when my mother and father pass away, meaning that the Elders would choose another family to take up the responsibility."

"Kira..."

"Don't worry," she chuckled sadly, "Probably had this coming...don't know why I thought I could get away with being a complete bitch to everyone."

Alex thought for several moments before saying, "You know...why don't you come back with me? Why don't you join Alpha Company? We can use someone with your skill."

"As much as I would love to," Kira began, "I can't...my responsibilities lie with Avione."

Alex's heart sank, he thought of her as a friend, and he didn't want to lose her should he decide to head back home, "I don't want to leave you, Kira."

"I don't want to keep you apart from the people you love," she replied soothingly, kissing his mouth, "You belong with Vitamel, with the _Old Regime_ , don't let me stand in the way of your destiny."

"Kira..." he shook his head, "Please come with me."

She seemed saddened, but accepting of her fate, "If only I could..." she hugged him again, "If I could, I would...but I'm needed here. Just...promise me one thing, okay?"

"What?"

"At least stop by to visit sometime? Even if we can't enjoy ourselves, I at least want to see you every once in awhile."

He smiled, "I can try that."

"Good," and she kissed him again, giving him a mischievous look and wink, "But...as long as we're stuck in here together...can we at least enjoy ourselves? Or will making love to me give you nightmares again?"

He shook his head, "Jesus...you're ridiculous."

"Hey, it's _your_ fault!" she replied, playfully punching his shoulder, "What we did during the Proving put me into a heat, I have lots of eggs that need fertilizing and not _nearly_ enough time to do it."

"Fair enough, I suppose," he sighed, "I guess it gives us a chance to experiment a little bit anyway...different methods of foreplay and what not..." and the harpy hopped down onto the rocky floor helping the Commander down and dragging him back to bed.

Outside of the room, outside of the mountain, standing in silence, alone, on the cold desert sand, feeling not the bitter wind that blew past him, Azazel stood in shock, having observed Alex and Kira's private conversation. "I found them!" he replied, grinning, "They'll be so proud of me!" and he vanished into thin air.

"I FOUND THEM!" a voice echoed throughout the house within which Alpha Company lived, rousing all of the unit from their slumber and bringing them downstairs to the living room, "Guys!" Azazel began, nearly bouncing in joy, "Guess what?"

"What?" Dash groaned with a yawn, "You realize what time it is, Zaz?"

"You'll be so proud of me!"

"What did you do?" Ruby asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

"I found them!"

"Found who?" Cynder asked, joining the party with a sleepy Spyro in tow.

"Alex and Terrias! I know where they are! I found them!"

Instantly, the unit was wide awake, listening intently, "What!?" Ruby exclaimed, "Where? Where are they?"

"They're living in this weird mountain in the desert, I-I saw this bird lady talking to Alex, I think they're being held prisoner there!"

"Can you tell us _exactly_ where they are?" Dash asked firmly.

Azazel nodded, floppy ears flapping in the breeze and smacking against his cheeks, "Yes! Follow me!"

Terminator tanks rolled across the desert, Piermont leading the group inside the command tank, in his human form. Azazel rode atop the command tank, relaying orders to the dragon, poking his head out through the turret. Passing through Blackgorge, they were confronted by police and S.W.A.T forces, curious to why an entire tank division was traveling through their city. Piermont merely waved them off, leaving Cynder to lie and say that they were on an unplanned training mission in the Chihuahuan Desert. Only about half of Alpha Company had been dispersed within the tank division, with the _Commander's Wing_ , sans Piermont, flying closely overhead. The other half of the unit, including Ruby, remained back in New Alexandria, being ordered by Heinrich to watch the city in the event Deitus and his forces returned.

"KEEP MOVING!" Piermont roared, eyes alight with a homicidal flame, "We're closing in on these cocksuckers!"

"Isn't this many soldiers kind of unnecessary?" Azazel asked, "The bird people don't have any major technology."

"I don't fucking care!" Piermont hissed, "They have Alex, and I'm gonna massacre every last one of these motherfuckers for what they did! We'll teach 'em for fucking around with us!"

Cynder sighed, addressing her mate, "Am I the only one that feels like Piermont is using this as some sort of proxy war against _Filios Diaboli_?"

"Nope," Dash replied, butting in, "Then again, are you really surprised?"

"We don't even _know_ if these bird things are in bed with Deitus!" Spyro exclaimed, "But this much firepower _might_ be a good thing...in the event that they pose any sort of a threat to us."

"We will blow this fucking desert to pieces until they handed over Alex and Terrias!" Piermont roared, sounding his mighty voice, "And after that, we will burn everything they hold dear down to the _FUCKING GROUND_!"

"The only question is what these bird people want with Alex and Terrias to _begin_ with," Cynder said, "I mean...what's the point?"

"And that is _exactly_ why I'm gonna kill every last one of them!" Piermont hissed.

"We're nearing the mountain," Azazel replied, "I wouldn't doubt if our machines would have woken them up by now...I'm not sure how dangerous they may be."

Piermont chuckled maniacally, "Oh, it's not like it matters...these fuckers are gonna BURN!"

Alex and Kira slept in each others arms, their sleep untroubled. Their excursions the previous day had taken a toll on them both, and they remained relatively undisturbed, not even hearing the distant drone of tank engines, growing ever closer. No nightmares had returned to Alex's sleep, and for once he was allowed to rest dreamlessly with a belly full of wine and delicious food, riding on the remnants of euphoria he obtained from his intimate sessions with Kira, who's sexuality that, in the past several hours they had spent alone together, he had fully explored. Passed out following the celebration earlier, he didn't hear the drone of engines, nor did he feel the steady vibrations as the tank division neared their position.

Neither he, nor his partner, were even roused from their slumber until a tank shell smashed into the mountain outside, sending such powerful vibrations throughout the compound that Alex was thrown from his bed onto the cold, stone floor. Dust and rock rained down on his head from the ceiling and he anxiously looked around in shock, ready to attack. Another shell blasted the mountain, blowing a small crevice into the room he shared with Kira, "Oh shit!" he hissed, leaping onto his feet and shaking his mate awake, "Kira! Kira wake up!"

The harpy started, reflexively slashing towards him with her claws. He caught her hands in midair, identifying himself. "What's going on?" she asked, alerted.

"I-I don't know! We're under attack!" and he finally heard the rumble of diesel engines, "Jesus Christ...what the _hell_ is that?"

Suddenly, a booming voice sounded through the air, coming from a megaphone outside, "You sons of bitches have something that belongs to us!"

Alex quickly dressed himself, retrieving his spear and running to the door which, with Kira's help, they managed to force open, racing out into the hall to find fully armed birdmen rushing past them, heading back towards the arena. "Anybody know what the fuck is going on?" Alex asked, soon joined by Terrias and Avery, running out of the room beside them.

"I hear tanks..." the servine replied, "Why is the military here?"

"They must have found us..." Alex replied soberly, "Fuck me..."

Behind them, Arvenon raced towards them, "We must go! _NOW!_ "

"Do you know what's going on?"

"All I know is that we're being attacked! Kira, take your mate to front, we need to defend the tribe at all costs!"

Kira nodded firmly, grabbing Alex by the hand and racing forward with Terrias and Avery behind them, "C'mon, dumbass! Let's go!"

"BLOW 'EM TO FUCKING PIECES!" Piermont howled, laughing maniacally as the command tank led the other machines into sequential barrages against the mountain, "URA!"

The half of Alpha Company that had traveled here with him were ordered to press into the mountain through a crevice they found in the northern cliff's face. In addition to the artillery barrage, flame tanks carved their way towards the mountain, setting the surrounding area alight to provide illumination in the devouring darkness. Tanks further back fired towards the mountain, blasting its walls to disorient its residents and weaken its structural defenses. It didn't take long before avian silhouettes appeared in the skies, firing arrows and spears at the approaching army. Catapults and trebuchets built into the mountain also launched their own payloads, some engulfed in flame, others not, at the advancing tanks.

"BURN 'EM OUT!" Piermont exclaimed, cheering as the flame tanks spewed fire into the lowest niches within which the avian artillery were erected, and he felt a sick, sadistic pleasure as he watched the bird creatures manning the weapons flail about, completely engulfed in flame. The dragon chuckled grimly, "Ah...a damn shame Heinrich wouldn't let us have the _nebelwerfers_ and mortars for this little adventure, they would have had a blast...literally!" and his tank crew responded by casting him horrified glances.

Having reached the mountain at last, the tanks idled in an encircling line, continuing to provide cover fire for the first wave of infantry to push into the compound. The command tank itself held further back down the line, out of range of the defenders' artillery, and Piermont observed the relentless shelling of the mountain through his binoculars, relishing in the destruction and bloodshed. The bird creatures did not stand a fraction of a chance against the overpowering Terminator Militia. It was only a matter of time before they capitulated, and Piermont would be able to enjoy the pleasure of slaughtering every last one of them, sending the bastard crossbreeds and amalgamations into extinction.

Kira guided the group through the wide halls, devoured by flames, and into the arena beyond where they had just celebrated not ten hours earlier. Every able-bodied warrior had been fully armed and stood in a line around the room, listening to the orders of Chief Aryana. Once her briefing had finished, her mate joined the crowd from his throne, leading them towards the tunnels that connected the inner sanctum with the entrance hall.

"What will you have me do, mother?" Kira asked.

"Aid your father in the defense," she replied, "But do take care of yourself...I cannot lose you either," then, "Alex...take care of my daughter."

Alex only nodded, pressing his arm to his chest and kneeling before the chief, "I will protect her with my very life, your Highness."

Aryana only nodded in response, waving forward, "Now go!"

The group raced to catch up with the tail-end of the warriors rushing to join the fight. Just as they reached the group, however, a violent explosion tore apart the ceiling and walls around the stone door that blocked off access to the tunnel, scattering the group and raining a thick cloud of suffocating dust upon them. When the dust cleared, they found that the warrior group had already been splintered and separated, abandoning their organization to fight back aimlessly and hopelessly against the human soldiers now flooding into the entrance hall, taking up cover positions and shooting towards the group funneling through the claustrophobic corridor, cutting them down almost as soon as they arrived.

"Fucking hell! Pull back!" Terrias exclaimed, grabbing Alex and Kira, both who were in front of him, by the neck and pulling them forcefully back behind the corner, just as H.M.G tore the earthen walls around them to shreds. They quickly picked themselves up and turned around, falling back to the arena to find another way across. While they fled, Alex kept at the rear-end of the group, watching their backs, when a loud, feminine roar sounded above him. He looked up through the newly-formed breach in the ceiling, revealing the smoky, starry skies, only to see a small red fox, wielding a dagger and sniper rifle, fall through the ceiling and tackle him to the ground. Forgotten by his comrades, Alex rolled around on the floor, wrestling against the creature, dodging the slashes and stabs of her dagger, until he was able to gain control over the fight and he kicked her off of him, launching her into the wall and knocking her to the ground, unconscious.

He scrambled to pick himself up, retrieving his spear just as the soldiers charged around the corner, firing towards him. He dove for cover around the corner, trying to lose them in the tunnels while simultaneously trying to locate his missing comrades. When he found himself in a fork in the road, with five branching paths to choose from, he paused in the center of the crossing, head snapping back and forth and searching frantically for a path to take. "Alex!" a voice exclaimed, and Alex turned to see Kira appear from the left hall, grabbing his arm and dragging him forcefully down it once more. When they reached a dead end, with a hole in the wall about ten feet up leading to a residence, Kira quickly scaled the ledge, pulling herself up and grabbing Alex's arm, helping him to scale the ledge. They raced through the open cave, rounding a corner into another, smaller cave whose north wall was completely absent, granting a panoramic view of the desert beyond. To their left was another ledge heading up, this one about fifteen feet off the ground. Kira knelt forward, beckoning Alex to climb onto her back, and once the Commander had settled, she leaped into the air, clearing the ledge in a single bound and landing smoothly atop it. From here, she hopped to another ledge even _further_ up, landing amid the burning ruins of a catapult and the charred corpses of three harpies.

Alex slid down Kira's back as the harpy crouched beside each body, placing a hand upon their chests and lowering her head in a quick, silent prayer before continuing forward. They passed into the mouth of another cave, finding themselves in a series of very airy tunnels carved throughout the mountain, allowing the desert breeze to blow freely through them. Kira led Alex through this labyrinth until they reached yet _another_ outcropping, where they managed to get a full, sickening view of the sheer size of the invasion force from a relatively safe position. Tanks stretched as far as the eye could see, skirting around large pockets of fire that burned bright and hot throughout the battlefield, illuminating the desert in a ghastly, haunting light.

"Jesus Christ..." Alex sighed, jaw dropped, "This can't be happening..."

On the frontlines, flame tanks continued to torch the surrounding area, and infantry flamethrowers were beginning to approach the mountain, entering its depths through various breaches. "No!" Kira exclaimed, hysterical, "No! No! _NO!_ "

"Kira!" Alex exclaimed, forcing her to face him and shaking her shoulders violently to bring her back to reality, "We need to keep moving! You hear me? We need to keep-!" but he was cut off as a shell blasted into the rock wall directly behind him, its shockwave throwing him aside and briefly deafening him. Ears ringing with tinnitus, world blurred, the Commander rolled onto his knees, coughing and gasping for breath. Razor-sharp, scalding hot shrapnel rained down upon his back and head, and he was soon pulled onto his feet by Terrias, urging him to continue forward before running off himself, following Avery around a ramping path that curved around the mountain. Alex ran back to Kira's side, helping her to her feet, handing back her dropped spear, before grabbing her hand and pulling her forward, swinging by to retrieve his _own_ spear in the process.

Rounding a corner, they emerged upon a large, flat, circular and open ledge. Two trebuchets and a catapult launched flaming boulders into the void beyond, and Kira returned to her senses, growling to her mate, "We need to join the fight!"

"You got an idea!?" Alex exclaimed, "Those fucking shells will tear us to shreds!"

"We need to take the chance!" the harpy hissed, "I'm going to go down there and take the fight back to them!"

"Are you nuts!? You won't last five seconds down there! They're armed with guns! Our spears won't do jack to them!"

"It's worth the risk!" she replied, tearing her arm free from Alex's grasp, "Listen to me, dumbass! This is _my_ home! I won't let these fuckers take that away from me!" and she raced back towards the ledge, preparing to take off.

"Kira wait!" Alex called, grabbing onto her hand and holding her back, "If you're going down there, take me with you!"

After a moment's hesitation, she nodded, "All right, climb onto my back!" and she knelt forward, allowing him to quickly scale onto her, "Hold on tight!" she roared, running towards the ledge and leaping off of it, free falling several feet towards the ground a hundred feet below before leveling off and regaining altitude. Once she had reached deeper into the invasion force, she folded her wings and dove down towards the ground, flipping into a land and allowing Alex to dismount before charging forward with a furious howl, slashing and stabbing her spear around at the infantry quickly surrounding her, dodging their attacks. Alex joined her in the fray, and they carved through the opposing force to regroup further in.

A column of tanks ahead began to move forward, and the two were forced to separate as the machines of war rolled forward, not seeming to notice the two defenders in its advance to the mountain. Laying on the ground, cutting down the men who tried to stab and smash him with their weapons, Alex managed to get a clear view of the side of the tank in the dismal light provided by the burning fires...and that's when he noticed the cursive, script, almost tribal Terminator Eagle emblazoned upon their sides. His eyes widened, "No _fucking_ way..."

"Spyro!" Cynder called, rapidly flapping to catch up to her mate, "We need to do something! Piermont's gone off the fucking deep end!"

"And what the _hell_ do you expect us to do, Cyn!?" he exclaimed, "He'll cut us down if we intervene!"

"We need to take the risk! We're not even sure if these creatures are hostile!"

"Well if they weren't before they surely are now!" Spyro hissed, "It's too fucking late to intervene and stop this from happening! Those creatures are gonna be massacred and it's too late to stop it now!"

"There must be _something_ we can do!"

"It's too late, Cyn!" Spyro called back, dodging a friendly shell that fired a bit too close to him, "Nobody is gonna listen to us in this chaos! And even if we _did_ manage to talk our guys into stopping, those creatures will not stop until either we or they are dead!"

"God _fucking_ dammit!" the dragoness hissed, "If we don't let up, Alex and Terrias will be torn to shreds! Does Piermont remember that they aren't mutated anymore!?"

"I think Pierre is beyond sensible thought now..." the dragon replied, dodging a charging harpy, screeching like an eagle, with a narrowly timed aileron roll. He turned to ground the creature, only to watch as a tank shell struck it dead-on, disintegrating it into a mass of blood, gore, and feathers.

Suddenly, their radios went off as one of the tank commanders exclaimed, "Jesus Christ! These two demons are slicing through our forces!"

"What the hell is going on?" Spyro replied.

"I-I don't know!" the commander replied, "There's these two creatures that just landed in the middle of the group and are slicing our men to bloody chunks! They're dodging all of our fire! What the _fuck_ are we dealing with!? These things are inhuman!"

"Where are you?"

"We're about a klick north of the mountain pass that goes into the damn compound!"

"Sit tight, we're on our way!" Spyro exclaimed, nodding determinedly towards Cynder and rocketing back the way they had come, the she-dragon close behind.

Alex rolled out of the way of one of the tanks, attempting to run him down. Several Terminator soldiers surrounded him, exchanging their firearms for swords and knives in an attempt to cut him down. The young man evaded their attacks, non-lethally taking them down with the blunt end of his spear, only to roll out of the way as he attracted another tank's attention and it tried to run him over. He rolled to the side of another tank's charge, quickly pulling himself onto it, knocking the attacking riders off and scampering over to the hatch, throwing in open and dropping down. The tank's crew charged towards him, but he dodged their attacks, throwing them around into the walls and terminals to neutralize—but not kill—the crew. The machine neutralized, he turned to head back, watching as a grenade dropped down and the hatch slammed shut. Eyes widening, he rapidly ran to the object, picking it up and scaling the ladder, throwing open the hatch and lobbing the grenade high into the air just as it exploded, raining shrapnel down onto the forces around him. He crawled out of the machine, hopping back down onto the ground and continuing forward, fighting his way to the center of the invasion force, trying to find the command tank.

He repeated this pattern for several minutes, pressing his stamina to its limits, knocking out the infantrymen before neutralizing the tanks crews, slowly but surely snaking throughout the invasion party. Suddenly, from behind him, he heard an eagle-like screech, and he barely managed to turn before a heavy object rammed into his back, sending him flying several feet forward. He hit the ground hard enough to knock the wind from out of him, rolling to a stop against the treads of an idling tanks. "What the... _fuck_...!" he managed through gasps, picking himself up and looking around for the source of the attack. Again, that screech sounded behind him, and he quickly rotated to face his attacker shortly before it rammed into his chest, knocking him onto his back. " _Cynder!_ " he exclaimed, scampering onto his feet to search the skies for the small black dragoness. He turned to his right, watching her leveling off a few feet above the ground, rocketing quickly towards him in an attempt to run him down once again. He rolled to the side to avoid the charge, quickly turning to spy her small, pitch-black body flap high into the sky, curving to come back around.

He braced himself as she launched towards him once again, opening her maw to spew white fire towards him. He shielded his face against the attack, throwing himself to the side, feeling her talons rake painfully across his back. Screaming in pain, he quickly pedaled his way, crawling prone, towards the neutralized tank, hoping to seek cover beneath its treads before Cynder came back around again. He managed to slide into safety beneath it just as Cynder raced past, spitting a trail of fire down in a strip to the side. He heard a loud _whoosh_ as the she-dragon landed on the ground, and he looked towards his feet, eyes widening to spy the she-dragon jamming her maw below the tank, baring her fangs in a catlike hiss and preparing to flame at him once again.

" _Oh shit..._ " he managed, crawling out of cover just as her flames licked alongside the desert floor and bottom of the tank, turning the sand to glass. He stood up, eyes widening when Cynder took to the skies, hovering above the tank, hissing once more and launching towards him. He quickly ran around to the opposite side of the tank, turning to see the dragon chase him around. He did this several times before she turned and flew the other way around, ramming into his chest and knocking him to the ground. She leaped onto his stomach, stabbing forward her forked tongue and hissing at him yet again before snapping towards his throat, her razor-sharp claws slicing into his chest. He dislodged her then, reaching around for a rock and smashing it into the side of her head, dazing her and kicking her off of him, running back around to retrieve his dropped spear. His hands wrapped around its smooth, ornately-carved shaft and he rotated on his feet, just as Cynder, now bleeding from a gaping wound above her left eye, rocketed towards him, attempting to tackle and latch onto his head to deal the killing blow. Out of reflex, he thrust his spear forward, and Cynder desperately attempted to slow down, missing her chance to avoid. She rolled to the side, crying out as the spearhead punched through her soft belly scales just above her breastbone, slicing her from sternum to cloaca, and she rolled clumsily towards the ground, crashing and sliding to a stop, a pool of deep maroon growing around her still and crumpled body. " _NO! CYNDER!_ " Alex exclaimed, running to her side.

She was breathing heavily, clutching her unzipped stomach in a desperate attempt to keep her intestines within her body.

"Cynder..." Alex exclaimed frantically, tending to the she-dragon.

"Stay away from me!" she hissed, "I'll fucking kill you!"

"God damn it, Cynder! It's me! It's Alex!"

The reveal startled her, and her eyes widened considerably, "A...Alex!?"

"For fuck's sake...am I really that unrecognizable with the beard and long hair!? Shit, I'm so sorry...I freaked and I..."

When blue sparks danced across her injury, sealing the wound shut and bringing on sighs of relief from the Commander, having forgotten entirely about her mutations, the she-dragon slowly picked herself up, backing away from him and shaking her head in denial, "A...Alex...is it really you?"

"It's me, Cyn," he replied with a sigh, "Thank God I found you..."

Without another word, the she-dragon tackled him to the ground, covering him with kisses, "You're _alive!_ " she exclaimed, in tears, "Thank Jesus, you're alive!"

"Cynder...!" he managed, calming her, "Listen to me! You need to call off the attack!"

"Why!?"

"They're on our side! These guys _ARE ON OUR SIDE!_ "

Cynder clambered off of him, shaking her head, "I...I can't...it's too late."

"The hell do you mean it's too late!?"

"We don't call the shots anymore," the she-dragon replied, backing away.

" _WHAT_!? Then who does!"

"Piermont," the dragoness replied grimly, "Listen, Alex...Cherub was killed by Deitus and...and Piermont has lost his _fucking_ mind! He's not going to stop until every last one of these creatures are dead..."

"You _NEED_ to stop him!" Alex roared, "They're on our side!"

"I can't!" the dragoness spat, "What don't you understand!? Piermont doesn't listen to us anymore, he's completely lost it!"

"Where's Spyro? Why isn't he doing something about this shit!?"

"Spyro resigned," the dragoness replied bitterly, "The stress of commanding the militia became too much for him and he backed down...at the threat of the rest of the unit. He named Piermont as his successor and things have only gotten much, _much_ worse."

"What the fuck have I missed?"

"A lot."

"Where are the others!?" 

"I don't even know," the dragoness replied, "Piermont doesn't organize us, he doesn't plan his attacks...he just runs blindly into the fray, hoping to muscle his way to victory. We lost hundreds of men a few days ago during a botched, unplanned assault on Deitus' castle, and now he's hellbent on slaughtering this entire race of bird people to extinction in his hunt for you and Terrias."

"I need to find him!"

"Good luck, he doesn't listen to anyone anymore...and I don't even know where the hell he is now..."

"Fuck me..." Alex breathed, "Listen, Cyn...do whatever you can to stop the fighting! I'm going to go find him!"

"I can try, but no promises."

"Do what you can!" and he ran forward, crying out and collapsing to the ground as an electrical jolt shot through his body.

" _Alex_!" Cynder exclaimed, running to his side, "Alex!? Are you okay!?"

"My... _head_!" he forced through the pain, and his eyes snapped open as he felt as if his soul had evacuated his body.

" _ALEX!_ " Kira screamed, and instantaneously, he was taken out of his body and threw the entire front. He stopped moving when he found himself in a burning clearing, Kira was slowly stepping away from something, wearing a horrified expression. His vision then turned sickeningly around, and he watched as a natural form Piermont approached her, eyes mad with a homicidal, insane rage, opening his great, emerald maw in preparation to flame the harpy, who raised an arm against her eyes, _"ALEX!_ " she screamed, " _HELP!_ "

"KIRA!" Alex exclaimed, instantly snapping back to his body with enough force to dizzy him and send him tumbling to the ground, "KIRA!" he repeated, gasping for breath, "I'M COMING!"

"Who the hell is Kira!?" Cynder exclaimed, but she was interrupted as another harpy rammed into her, knocking her aside.

The Commander didn't notice this, all feeling left his body as he sprinted as fast as he could through the line, searching for his mate. "KIRA!" he howled, "HOLD ON! I'M COMING!"

He finally tumbled into the clearing, watching in horror as Piermont spat a tongue of flame towards the cowering harpy.

"STOP!" the Commander exclaimed, diving between the two and taking the brunt of the flames, forcing his pyrokinesis to turn the flames back upon their master. Piermont howled in pain as his own flames seared the left side of his body and face, and his eyes snapped open once again, that homicidal light growing even brighter. He launched another tongue of flame towards the Commander who, in his rage, diverted its path harmlessly into the sky, "PIERRE, YOU CRAZY SON OF A BITCH! I ORDER YOU TO STOP THIS AT ONCE!"

Furious at the failure to harm his foe, Piermont lowered his head and snorted like a bull, charging towards the Commander, attempting to gore the young man with his horns. In the blink of an eye, Alex's eyes suddenly glowed a brilliant orange, and in an explosion of heat, wind, and flame, his body disintegrated as his Phoenix Forme tore itself free. The immense bird, made entirely of flame, bellowed in a layered, deafening tone that made the very earth quake and trembled. The creature's left wing was stunted and asymmetric, a result of the Commander's physical body losing his left arm during the fight against the crazed Zack Dawson two years earlier. Piermont's eyes widened and he fell back, "No...!" he managed, voice hoarse, "It can't be!"

"STOP!" the phoenix roared, the strength in its layered voice, sounding as if the very flames were speaking, instantly halting the battle and turning all attention towards it, "THEY ARE NOT YOUR ENEMY!"

Both sides then began to fire upon the phoenix, their rounds doing no harm to the creature at all. The arrows and spears fired off by the harpies and birdmen merely passed through its flames, igniting and showering the clustered Terminator forces while the latter's shells and bullets did the same.

Nick ran towards the front of the crowd, eyes widening as he saw the phoenix take flight, "Holy shit!" he exclaimed, unsheathing his sword, and howling, "DIE DEMON!" before charging towards the creature.

"Nick! _STOP!_ " Spyro exclaimed, attempting to tackle the boy to the side. The Power Keeper managed to roll beneath the purple dragon's attack, launching into the air and attempting to thrust _Soulreaper_ into Firebird's long, serpentine tail, waving in the cold, desert breeze. The attack connected, but Alex's Phoenix Forme only screeched before swiping and knocking the boy aside with his tail. Nick hit the ground painfully, rolling to a stop, with _Soulreaper_ spiraling out of control and lodging itself in the ground a hundred yards away. Nick's eyes began to glow a bright blue, and he bore his teeth in anger, body trembling with rage.

Smoke suddenly poured from the ground, devouring Nick's body, and he fell forward, collapisng to the ground as the mist completely engulfed him. The shadowy residue then began to pulsate and throb before an immense, shadowy arm reached through the pool, grabbing onto the ground like a zombie busting from its grave. A second arm punched through the mist then, and an immense, vaguely humanoid creature pulled itself from the earth, standing to its full height. The colossal shadow knight towered over the armies, standing two hundred feet in the air, almost as tall as Firebird. As the behemoth lumbered towards the phoenix, each step shook the earth with such force that the ground buckled and cracked. Its smoky form pulsated and throbbed with a purple glow, and its eyes were bright, blue orbs. It reached to where _Soulreaper_ had fallen, and the armies watched in horror as a massive, glowing blue, crystal-like shape grew from its arm.

With a furious roar, the Firebird launched itself towards the Dark Guardian, opening its beak to spew white fire towards the demonic entity. The Dark Guardian misted itself into the ground, regaining form behind the bird and thrusting its sword into the bird's chest, impaling it with the blade. The phoenix lifted itself off of the shadowed colossus, rising into the air and rocketing down into the beast, but the Dark Guardian grabbed the bird in midair, throwing it effortlessly into the ground. Both armies could only stand around and watch as the two monstrous entities clashed, attempting to get clear of their battlefield. The phoenix slithered away from the colossus, regaining form several hundred yards away and rising into the air once more, extending its body to its full wingspan, almost resembling a cross in the sky. It roared was like a bird of prey, only much more metallic, and with a burst of thunder, the skies turned a bloody red in color as hundreds of flaming fireballs fell from the sky like meteorites, scattering the two armors who desperately fled for cover.

The Dark Guardian lumbered forward, slashing towards Firebird with its mighty blade, but the pheonix dodged these attacks, sending out a rapidly-expanding, explosive wave of fiery wind from its body like the wall of fire from the epicenter of a nuclear blast. The Guardian held its sword-arm against its face, absorbing the brunt of the firewall, its elastic, shadowy body reforming soon after. It lunged with its weapon, but the bird strafed right to avoid the attack, screeching once more and summoning two immense, flaming wyverns from its body. The fire spirits slithered in either direction towards the colossus, who disintegrated them with slow, powerful swipes of its sword.

Enraged by the continued failure of its attacks, Firebird launched itself towards the Dark Guardian, pummeling its entire mass into the shadowed colossus, who held its own against the bird. Eventually, a powerful explosion emerged from the contact point between the two attacks, sending a powerful enough shockwave to completely disintegrate both the colossus and the bird into fragments which rained from the heavens like snow and settled in puddles on opposite sides of the battlefield. The flames rapidly dissipated to expose Alex hovering a few feet off the ground, as if crucified, and the Commander collapsed forward to the ground. Likewise, the puddle of liquid shadow rapidly pulled back towards its center, reforming into a much smaller humanoid form before the mist dissipated back into the ground completely, revealing an unconscious Nick, _Soulreaper_ laying by his side.

"Alex!" Kira exclaimed, running to the young man's side. He was barely conscious, his clammy skin was pallid and ill, and he looked almost corpse-like. In addition to this, the stitches along his heel from the crippling injury that Kira had dealt him the previous day had broken, and he was bleeding profusely. Supporting him, the harpy quickly sprinted back to Avione, leaving the two opposing sides to awkwardly stare at each other, their fighting concluded and forgotten.

"Well..." Cynder began, breaking her silence, "Now what?"

"Are you okay?" Kira asked, tending to Alex's wounds. She had brought him back to the arena where they had fought the previous day, stitching his wound closed.

"I'll be fine," the Commander replied, "I just...need a break..."

As her father passed by her, heading back towards the entrance hall, she flagged him down, "Hey! Where you going?"

"Your mother has requested we meet with the leader of the invasion force...perhaps we can work out a cease fire."

"Are you nuts!? They're trying to kill us!"

"That's what I said," the birdman sighed, "But you know how she can be..." and he finally left the room.

"Don't worry," Alex reassured, "Alpha should be able to keep Pierre on a leash...and I trust Cynder to tell the others that we're on their side."

"Who's Cynder?"

"A friend of mine, she's a dragon."

Kira scoffed, "Are you two mates as well?"

Silence from the Commander, and Kira only sighed, rubbing her temples.

"If it's any reassurance, I mated Cynder before I even met Ruby...and we're really nothing more than a kinda friends with benefits..."

Piermont barely managed to contain his homicidal rage as Alpha Company was escorted through the ruined entrance and towards the inner sanctum, lined on either side by birdmen and harpies. Upon entering the arena, they found hundreds of the creatures lining the floor and up in the grandstands, and Piermont felt his rage boil even hotter. The room was eerily silent as their guards escorted them to the thrones at the far end of the room, and this only further enraged the Martaanean Forest Dragon. What surprised him the most, however, was that in the smallest and lowest of the three thrones, a red-haired, brown-skinned, black-feathered harpy lounged in the arms of none other than Great Commander Alex Vaughn himself, clad only in a dirty, dingy loincloth, his long hair and beard making him almost completely unrecognizable.

"What the fuck is this!?" Piermont hissed, "You _bastard_! You betrayed us!?"

Alex maintained his somber expression, "I didn't betray you, Pierre."

"Bullshit you did!" the dragon roared, "You escaped from prison and didn't even have the fucking audacity to tell us where you were! And apparently while you were here tickling twats, the rest of us were getting slaughtered by _Filios Diaboli_ , you selfish motherfucker!"

"It's not like that, Pierre."

"Don't fucking lie to me, man!" the dragon exclaimed, near tears, "Don't you _DARE_ fucking lie to me! What was your master plan, huh? Use your arrest as an excuse to get away from us? To run off into the fucking wind and start a brand new life? What? You were just gonna hang around, build a little house, have a bunch of little Alex Vaughns running around while the rest of us were slaughtered by Deitus and his forces? Well guess what? While you were out here dicking around, Deitus attacked New Alexandria and killed Cherub, so you know what?" the dragon stormed towards the Commander, "HER BLOOD IS ON YOUR FUCKING HANDS!"

"You don't understand, Pierre."

"Really now? What _don't_ I understand, you fucking cunt!"

"I didn't tell you because I was trying to protect."

"Oh bullshit!" Piermont roared, "You were trying to protect your fucking self!"

"God damn it, Pierre!" Alex exploded, "I _DID NOT_ BREAK OUT! _DEITUS_ broke Terrias and I out! Claimed he didn't like having his prey handed to him on a silver platter, wanted to enjoy the 'hunt', and so he broke us out of prison. Terrias and I almost died in that fucking desert until they found us and brought us here, raised us back to health."

"WHO THE FUCK EVEN ARE THESE!?"

"We are Avione," Aryana spoke, "Descendents of Mes..."

"I DON'T FUCKING CARE!" the dragon roared, "I SHOULD KILL EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU MOTHERFUCKING BASTARDS IN THE MOST PAINFUL WAY IMAGINABLE TO MAKE YOU SUFFER FOR THE SHIT THAT YOU SO COWARDLY HID AWAY FROM! AND _YOU!_ " Piermont snarled, addressing Alex, "Someone I thought I could trust! Someone that I _thought_ actually _cared_ about me and my well being...you abandoned your army! You abandoned me! YOU FUCKING ABANDONED YOUR OWN GODDAMN MATE! And for what purpose? To hide away from your fucking son? You selfish prick! Maybe you _SHOULD_ be filleted by Deitus! Serves you fucking right!"

"Pierre...I'm sorry..."

"No," the dragon hissed, "No _sorry_ will mend this shit. I hope you fucking choke licking off that redskin bitch's grimy-ass pussy!"

Alex looked away in shame, Kira attempting to soothe him. Cynder stepped forward to intervene, "Goddamn it, Pierre! Stop! _ENOUGH!_ " and she pulled him back, "It's not Alex's fault!"

"FUCK YOU!" Piermont roared, shoving Cynder aside, "I hope you die with him you nigger whore!" and the dragon turned around, stomping away and leaving the arena.

When the air had settled, Aryana turned to face Alex, saying, "Perhaps it is time that you return home, my son."

Alex shook his head, "I don't want to leave you guys..."

"We will manage," she replied with a firm nod, "And you are always welcome to visit...now that you are one of us, you will _always_ be one of us."

"Alex..." Cynder began in a saddened voice, and the Commander turned to face her...she was crying, "Please...come home. We need you."

Alex cast another look towards Aryana, who slowly nodded in approval, "Kira?" he turned to face the girl.

"Yeah?" she asked, her eyes displaying a painful unhappiness that cut Alex to the bone.

"Take care of yourself...okay?" and they embraced, Kira crying into his shoulder. Without another word, the Commander stood up, gently picking up the spear that Kira had gifted him and cradling it affectionately before hopping down from his perch and returning to where Cynder stood. Terrias joined them then, saying his own goodbyes to a sobbing Avery and kissing her before gently nudging her away. The young harpy ran towards Kira and the two girls embraced, holding and consoling one another, Alex turned to face Terrias, watching as the servine struggled to control his own emotions. With a sigh, Alex turned towards Cynder, "Let's go back home," and the she-dragon nodded, guiding him towards the exit.

"Think about it this way," Cynder began, attempting to soothe him, "At least you'll be able to be with Ruby again."

Before they had a chance to exit the arena, Aryana suddenly spoke, her voice loud and clear, audible throughout the chamber, even without any aid, "Now hold on a moment..."

The Commander turned to face the old chief once more.

"I do believe that it is only appropriate that Kira and Avery should go with you...to be with their mates."

"Don't you need us here?" Kira asked, "I mean...we have responsibilities here..."

"No," Aryana replied, "Now that you have participated in the Proving, now that you have found a mate, your responsibilities lie with your family...so go and be with them. All I ask is that you don't forget about your home, your tribe, and that you and your mate will be willing to return when the time comes to take my place as Matriarch."

Kira nodded, "I won't..."

"What do you say, my son?"

"I say that it's nothing you need to worry about...we will come back."

"Very well then..." and Aryana nodded forward, "Go Kira, be with your mate, live happily with your family."

The harpy slowly stood up from her seat, retrieving her spear and hopping down to the sandy ground, walking nervously towards Alex. Once she was about halfway across, she broke into a sprint, running to and leaping into Alex's arms, hugging him tightly Cynder only chuckled, looking towards the Commander with a bemused grin, "And how you will explain this little development to Ruby?"

"Very carefully," Alex chuckled, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Is she understanding at least?" Kira replied shyly, blushing.

"She's friendly," Alex replied, "In fact, I have the queerest feeling that you two will get along fabulously."

"Now..." Cynder began as they exited the arena into the tunnels connecting the inner sanctum to the entrance hall, "I suggest that you guys stay below the radar for awhile. The search for you and Terrias was called off quite some time ago, but I still wouldn't risk attracting attention to yourselves. You two are _still_ fugitives, and are _still_ accused of slaughtering everyone in that prison and escaping."

"I have one important question..." Alex began.

"Ask away," the she-dragon replied, exiting into the entrance hall.

"How's the progress on the 'Ruby Clause'?"

Cynder laughed, "Well...uh...let's just say that the Senate kinda shot it down...so sexy time with Ruby, Dash, and I is _still_ illegal."

"Son of a bitch."

Cynder shrugged, "Hey, as long as you're careful and you don't advertise it, you shouldn't have any problem continuing your private sessions with us. What happens in the bedroom, stays in the bedroom, am I right?"

Upon exiting out into the rapidly dawning morning, the only ambiance being the chirping of morning birds, Alex watched as the Terminator forces pulled back and out of the area, the half of Alpha Company that had attended the battle vanishing in teleportation spheres, returning to New Alexandria...but Alex noticed that Piermont was nowhere to be found. "Pierre's already left," Dash suddenly said, landing beside the Commander, "He seemed kinda pissed...need I asked what happened?"

"It's best that you don't," Cynder replied.

"Kinda figured as much..." and she smiled towards Alex, kissing him firmly on the mouth, "Glad to see you alive and well Alex...we've all missed you."

"I've missed you guys, too."

"Shit, man..." Dash shook her head, "Ruby's gonna be real happy when she wakes up to find you laying in bed beside her."

"I wouldn't doubt it," Alex chuckled.

"Just...eh...try to keep the volume down, okay?" Dash chuckled, "The walls are kinda thin."

"As if Ruby will give me so much as a _chance_ to open my mouth..."

"Hell, I wasn't talkin' about you, Alex. I was talking about Ruby, please remind her that the walls are thin."

Alex laughed, climbing onto the pegasus' back and helping Kira to mount, "Noted."

"Hold on tight!" Dash began, launching into the air and joining Spyro—carrying Terrias and Avery—and Cynder in the sky, "New Alexandria! Here we come!"

Upon arrival back at Alpha Company's estate, Kira and Avery looked around the city in awe, astonished by its unique architecture. Alex grabbed his mate by the hand, quickly escorting her to the closed iron gates leading into the yard beyond. "Okay..." Cynder began, clearing the guards to open the gate, "The city is _still_ under curfew, which is a good thing. The less people that see us, the better."

"What should we do?" Alex asked her.

"You guys should probably hang tight for a few days...stay away from any paparazzi, stay away from the windows and any visitors we may have. The world isn't quite ready to to learn that Alex Vaughn has been found and returned to his home."

"Should we tell Heinrich?" Dash asked.

"Shit..." Cynder sighed, "I didn't think about that."

"Heinrich's a dick, I think we should lie and say that we found nothing...don't trust the guy."

"Unfortunately, Dash, neither do I...but he knows we went to retrieve Alex...bad idea to lie to him about the results of the mission. I just hope the douchebag can keep his mouth shut. Don't need the whole fucking world to know that we found Alex and Terrias, else we'll have the media and the feds knocking on our doorstep to get to them.

"What exactly _happened_ to get you guys so wanted by the authorities?" Kira asked.

"Long story," Alex replied, "I'll tell you later. Right now, I'm just fucking tired...and I need a nice hot shower, and a big fucking meal."

Cynder chuckled, "Oh yeah, forgot to tell you, Alex, we have a butler now."

"Really?" 

"Yeah, Eli called one of his buddies from Theta Company, that guy can fucking cook, lemme tell you."

Alex snarled, "Eli..."

"Chill out, Alex," the dragoness replied, "He's a good man...he's one of us. I don't appreciate Heinrich automatically defaulting strangers into Alpha either but...Eli was a good choice."

Alex only snorted.

"So...Cynder chuckled, "I know you'll want a shower but...I suggest you go talk to Ruby first...I'm sure she'll want to join you once she finds out you're alive and home. She's really missed you."

"I've missed her, too."

"I'm kinda worried about meeting her..." Kira replied, "Especially when she finds out that Alex and I kinda...um..."

"Don't worry," Cynder replied, "Uh...what was your name again?"

"Kira," the harpy replied.

"Right...um...don't worry Kira, Ruby's a good girl, she's nice."

"I'm kinda excited though...Vitamel is one of our deities."

Cynder chuckled, "Just mind the worship, please? We're inclusive to everyone regardless of sex, gender, race, or religion...but don't go overboard, okay?"

"Will do."

"Then you'll get along fine here..." and the she-dragon opened the stained oak door, stepping aside to allow the small group inside.

"Home sweet home..." Alex sighed, sniffing the air, "And holy shit, it _actually_ doesn't smell like bird crap!"

Kira elbowed him, "How rude."

Standing in the foyer, Alex watched as the group dispersed to go about their various errands. Soon, only Alex and Kira remained, and exchanging glances, Alex grabbed her hand and led her upstairs to the end of the hall, towards the closed door to his room.

"I'm kinda scared..." the harpy began, "Are you sure she won't be mad at me?"

Alex shook his head, "She'll love you, don't worry..." and the Commander turned to face the door. However, he hesitated for several minutes, gathering the courage before finally turning the handle and quietly pushing open the door, entering the darkness beyond. Kira nervously slipped in beside him, and Alex quietly closed the door shut behind him, slowly approaching his bed, where the dolphin's form was just barely recognizable in the dim sunlight shining between the closed curtains over the French doors leading to the balcony. Alex stood at the side of the bed for several minutes, gently lowering his hand towards the dolphin before he closed it over her dorsal fin. "Ruby?" he whispered in a low voice.

The dolphin stirred in her sleep, her shining sapphire eyes slowly opening to behold the sight before her. She blinked sleepily before shooting up in bed, jaw dropping and eyes tearing up. "A...Alex?" she asked.

He sat down on the side of the bed, gently rubbing her back and smiling, "Ruby, I'm home."

"Alex!" she exclaimed, tackling him and hugging him tightly kissing him repeatedly, "Alex! You came back!"

"I'm back..." he chuckled softly, "I'm home again."

"I missed you so much!" she cried, burying her head in his chest, "I've missed you..."

"I've missed you, too, Ruby..."

Once the dolphin had contained herself a bit, the Commander gently pushed her off of his chest, sitting up again in bed and saying, "Listen...there's someone...I need you to meet."

"Who?" and the dolphin's eyes suddenly turned to face Kira, standing awkwardly against the wall, having witnessed her reaction to his return.

"A...Alex? Who's this?" she asked, concerned.

"This is Kira," he replied, "She's a harpy...descended from Messorem...and she's the one that found Terrias and I almost dead in the desert...that raised us back to health...there's something else as well, and I promised that I would never lie to you, so please understand and listen until I can explain in full."

She nodded, "I promise."

"Kira is the reincarnation of Avias...one of Messorem's...lovers..."

"Did you two..." she began, voice small.

Alex frowned, nodding slowly, "That's how I found out...but please hear me out. There was this event...called the Proving...it secured our place in the tribe, and I had _no_ idea what happened during it. I chose Kira, thinking that she would throw the match for me, since they had me poisoned during the fight, and I was too weak to fight back. What I didn't realize is that the Proving resulted in me fighting and subduing one of the tribe's maidens, mating her soon after. It was either I participate or I died...Terrias can support me, so can Kira."

Ruby still cast him a distrustful glare, but answered, "Okay...I understand...and I won't be mad if you promise me something."

Alex nodded.

"If you are honest in what you are telling me, then _promise_ me that you won't neglect me like you did Sarah, that you _still_ pay attention to me. In return, I'll let you do whatever you need to do to fulfill your responsibilities to her."

Alex sighed with visible relief, "Trust me, Ruby...I don't intend to...the very fact I did such a thing with her only succeeded in haunting me and giving me nightmares."

"He's right," Kira replied, "Also...our mating was also kinda my fault. He told me about you, he told me he loved and missed you, that you were always on his mind...when the Proving happened, I kinda...forced myself on him. So if anything, you should be mad at me, not him."

"I'm not mad at either _one_ of you," Ruby replied, "I'm just glad that you're here and home safe..." the dolphin smiled, hugging and kissing her mate once again, "And Kira?"

The harpy turned to face her.

The dolphin smiled warmly towards the girl, "Thank you for taking care of Alex and keeping him safe and out of harm's way."

Kira grinned widely, "Oh...no problem, he kinda does attract trouble like flies to dung."

Ruby chuckled, "Yes he does...he does indeed," she smiled lovingly towards her mate, "I'm glad you're safe, Alex...I'm glad you decided to come home."

"Not gonna chew my ass out for not telling you where I was?" Alex replied, surprised.

Ruby nodded, "I know why you didn't. The others may not have believed me, but I knew that you were only trying to keep us safe...plus I knew that you had no way of reaching us anyway, so it's all quite all right. Now..." and the dolphin playfully pushed Alex back, "You need a bath, you stink."

"Not surprised," Alex chuckled, "It's been a few weeks...was just gonna do that when I figured I should talk to you first."

Ruby smiled mischievously towards him, "Smart choice..." then, "You know...you might need some help to scrub _all_ the filth off you."

Alex laughed, "Probably...but where can I find such help."

The dolphin winked at him, "I might be able to..."

Kira cleared her throat, attracting their attention once again.

"Sorry," Ruby replied sheepishly, "I kinda get carried away sometimes..."

Kira shrugged, "That's fine, I'll leave you two to your devices...I'll just explore this place a bit."

Alex whispered something into Ruby's ear. The dolphin perked, sighing playfully and shaking her head, "Of course you do."

"What? She might need the help. If she's gonna stay with us, we might as well start teaching her the ropes of First World living."

"Fine, fine...fair enough...just so long as she doesn't cockblock us," the dolphin snorted.

"She won't," Alex grinned, then, "Kira, have you ever seen a shower before?"

The harpy shook her head, "Can't say I have."

"Want to experience one of the greatest damn things in the world?"

"Sure..."

"Come with us then and experience the magic of fresh, hot water sliding down your back, washing away your filth to leave you feeling silky smooth and smelling as fresh as a newborn baby."

"Won't I get in the way between you two...?"

Alex shrugged, "Given how the Proving was, I wouldn't think that public...intimacy...was very frowned upon in your culture."

"To some degree, when mating is ritualistic like it was during the Proving, then nobody is bothered by it...but when it's simply for the sake of pleasure...then yes it is rather taboo."

"Pay us no mind then," Alex chuckled.

"It _would_ be fascinating to witness Messoremel and Vitamel consummating their relationship..."

"Well, you're welcome to come with us if you want. If you don't want to, that's fine, too...and Alex and Ruby headed towards the bathroom, "Totally your choice."

Kira considered this for a few moments before nodding, racing to catch up to them.


	40. Chapter XXXIX: Usurpation

_**Chapter XXXIX**_ **:**

 **-''Usurpation''-**

 **-New Alexandria, Montana-**

 **- _28 March 2016_ -**

 **- _1215 Hours_ -**

Alex stepped out of the bathtub, drying himself off and walking towards the bathroom mirror, examining himself. Fishing out a razor from the sink's drawer, he trimmed his overgrown beard, deciding whether or not to go to work on his hair as well. Realizing that, at this point in time, it was still far too dangerous for he and Terrias to reveal themselves to the outside world, he decided to go for it, finally washing his face and grinning at his clean cut appearance. He found it surprising how quickly his hair had grown in the space of two months, and he wondered if the serum—or its lack thereof—had somehow influenced it.

Another thing he enjoyed, having his abilities back once again. He didn't realize just how much he enjoyed his mutations until faced with a time where he was without them, and he felt nothing but relief now that they were coursing through his veins once again. He allowed his mind to wander towards other things, and it eventually turned to his mates. The Commander was surprised by just how well Kira and Ruby seemed to be getting along, and he wondered if it would continue. A light knocking on his bedroom door roused him from his thoughts, and tying off the towel around his waist, he stepped outside of the bathroom and walked to his bedroom door, gently unlatching and opening it. Zinnia stood outside, smiling widely at him, "You _are_ back!" she exclaimed, embracing him tightly, and Alex stepped aside to allow her inside before closing the door once again, returning to the bathroom. She sheepishly followed, leaning in the doorway and saying, "I came by as soon as I heard you had returned...we've been missing you."

Alex chuckled, still examining himself in the mirror and trimming his long mane, "So I've heard."

"Cynder told me that you guys were trying to stay quiet for awhile."

"Given that we're fugitives, and the world still thinks we broke out of prison and slaughtered all of those guards, it's best if as few people know about our residence as possible."

"Smart choice...it's a good thing you live with Alpha Company...they're able to sneak you in supplies and stuff, huh?"

Alex nodded, "Rog."

"When do you think you'll be able to walk outside again?"

"I don't even fuckin' know, Zinnia...I'm in no hurry to though."

Silence for several moments before the girl said, "I've missed you, Alex."

"I missed you guys, too," he replied.

"So, I met those two bird girls...they the ones who've been hiding you?"

Alex nodded, "Yeah...really pissed off Piermont when he found out."

"Don't mind him, he's just stressing and mourning Cherub's death."

"I suppose," Alex sighed, turning to face his old friend, "Still doesn't justify him being an ass."

Silence fell between them again, with Zinnia saying, "So, after you went missing, we didn't hear the end of it from your parents begging to know what happened, including your mother."

"That's funny, since when did she care about me?"

"Well...she still thinks you and I are a thing...she kept trying to calm me down and tell me everything was gonna be okay...as if I didn't know you already."

"Didn't we finally admit that wasn't the case?"

"Not directly, I don't think."

"Fuck's sake, they just need to chill out."

"So, I guess now that you're in hiding, you and I can't go on any dates then, huh?"

Alex chuckle, "Nor can we get married. Guess we'll have to postpone our wedding again, huh?"

Zinnia giggled, "Your mom is...she's something."

"She's something all right...a total and complete bitch."

"She just cares for your happiness and well-being."

"While simultaneously refusing me to be happy with Ruby? It's hypocritical...which is why I hope that she never finds out about your bestial tendencies...you won't hear the end of it."

"Even if said two zoophiles end up getting together and tying the knot?"

Alex shrugged, "Honestly, I don't fucking know. Mom's her own entity, I just casually smile and nod."

"Well...we might not be able to go on any fancy dates, but I might be able to smuggle some homemade food and candles in here."

Alex grinned, "We have our own chef now, so you don't to worry."

"Ah, but have you even tried my cooking? I'm an excellent chef: potatoes gratin, beef bourguignon, filet mignon with bleu cheese, crème brulee, tarte au citron, and I can make a perfect chocolate souffle. I have a bottle or two of Bordeaux that I bought when I last visited my family, we can split one of those."

"You sure this isn't just some elaborate attempt to get me into bed?"

"And what if it is, hmm?" she chuckled.

"Careful now, your desperation is showing."

"Your parents already have us married off, might as well play along, no? Like I said before, you can keep Ruby...I wouldn't mind spending some time with her myself...she's very good, very gentle."

"Okay, okay," Alex grinned, "Fine, a date sounds nice. When are you available next?"

"We could go next Friday night, if that's fine with you."

"That'll work," he replied, "S'not like I'm going anywhere anytime soon. Oh! And just for safety measures, remember to bring condoms, huh?"

She smiled and giggled, playfully punching his shoulder before hugging him and leaving him alone.

Leaving his room and walking downstairs, Alex found the rest of Alpha Company sitting around the parlor conversing among themselves. "Right, so..." he began, "Back to business...any updates on Deitus or his whereabouts?"

"Not really, no..." Rocket began, sitting beside Scarlet before, "Oh! I can tell you one thing."

"What's up?"

"Our pal Vergil? Yeah, he's still alive."

Alex's heart sank, "How? I thought he exploded."

"Yeah, so did we...but Spyro volunteered me to get captured in an ambush we _willingly_ walked into, unto to my squad that got wiped out in the process, so that I could be taken captive and map out Deitus' estate..."

Alex glared at the purple dragon, who only looked away, knowing very well he was going to have to explain himself later.

Rocket continued, "Busted out with Scarlet here, and while we were fighting out way out, we saw Vergil alive and well beside Deitus' throne...which brings me to another thing you might want to know."

"Which is...?"

"You know that little goat boy, Azazel?"

Alex nodded, "Yeah, what about him?"

"Turns out he's Deitus' son."

A grim air fell upon the world before Ruby quickly chimed in, "Don't worry though, Alex. He's a good guy, I swear!"

"Anything else?" the Commander asked in a grim tone.

Ruby took up the conversation here then, explaining what she had seen and what Azazel had told her in the _Inner Dimension_. "It was in the one of the universes within the _Inner Dimension_ where we found Flora," Ruby replied sheepishly, nodding towards the faun that slept just outside in the mansion's back yard, curled into a ball in the sunlight.

 _So...Azazel is the son of Deitus...I feared that would be the case._

 _Necro...long time no see_ , Alex replied, irritated.

 _My apologies, but your demutation had all but rendered me mute._

 _So you knew that Azazel was Deitus' son the whole fucking time?_

 _I had my suspicions...but I didn't say anything for fear of making a false accusation._

Just then, Nick passed through the front door with Eli, carrying groceries on their return from the supermarket. Upon spying Alex sitting on the couch, the boy noticed an eerie, black aura that surrounded him, and his eyes seemed to glow black. "DEMON!" the boy replied, dropping his bags and unsheathing the sword he carried on his belt.

"Wait! Nick, stop!" Ruby replied, but not before he had driven the blade through Alex's heart.

The whites of his eyes grew black, as if ink had been dripped onto them, and in a layered voice, Necrodusk merely said, "Ow...is this really necessary?"

He twisted the blade in the Commander's twist, which Necrodusk only grunted from, "This...really quite hurts, would you kindly _stop_?"

Nick's face adopted a horrified, stricken glance, "Wha...why aren't you dying!?"

"He's not evil!" Ruby exclaimed.

"I'm an...eh...ascended demon..." Necrodusk managed, "I'm here to help you, now please...kindly pull this out. _Soulreaper_ hurts...greatly."

"What!?" and Nick pulled the sword out, falling back at the demon's mention of the blade's name, "You know about _Soulreaper_?"

"Indeed I do," Necrodusk replied, "We are the ones who _gave_ it to you in the _first_ place...it's been a long time, my old friend."

"What...? Who _are_ you?"

"I am Necrodusk, one half of the Archangel Messoremel, this vessel is my other half...and you, you are the Power Keeper, no? What brings a demon like you to this realm?"

"I don't know _why_ I'm here," Nick snorted, "My powers don't tell me anything. I just wake up in these random places, usually when there's a shard of Manus nearby."

"Manus?" Terrias grinned, "Like...Dark Souls Manus?"

With the blade removed, Necrodusk returned control back to Alex, with the Commander himself doubling over and gasping for breath, frantically lifting his shirt and searching for a penetration wound...finding nothing there.

"Anyway..." Rocket began, returning to the subject, "So yeah...Vergil's still alive, Azazel is the son of Deitus, and we're right on Armageddon's freakin' doorstep. Things are just about as fantastic as you would think."

"We're going to need to attack soon..." Spyro replied, "As long Vergil and Deitus wander the world, we're getting ever closer to the end of the world, these Beams popping up all over the place is a bad sign...and I think that if we can kill both of those bastards, they'll stop."

"What about the Alpha Breaker?" Ruby asked nervously, "I mean... _that_ 's the creature that's actually shattering the Greater Beams..."

"One thing at a time, Ruby..." Spyro grunted, "Right now, our main threat is Vergil and Deitus. They control _Filios Diaboli_ , and thus control the Lesser Breakers and the forces that have been trying to destroy the Minor Beams. Azazel, himself, said that the Alpha Breaker is stuck in the _Inner Dimension_ , it can't cross into the Base World _or_ the Omniverse, meaning that if we can take down the things trying to destroy the Minor Beams, we can hold on long enough until we figure out a way to stop the Alpha Breaker and _hopefully_ reverse the damage it's already done."

 _Impossible,_ Necrodusk spoke up from the depths of Alex's mind, _The destruction of the Beams—both Greater_ and _Minor—is irreversible. Once they're gone, they are gone for eternity._

Alex reiterated what the shadow-demon had told him, and Spyro swore, sighing, "Well, at the very least, we need to find a way to destroy _Filios Diaboli_ , _then_ we can worry about the Alpha Breaker."

 _I would agree_.

"So what do we do then?" Alex asked.

"That's up to you to decide," Spyro replied, "You're the boss."

"I don't know! I've been gone for the past two months, I have no fucking idea what's going on in the world right now, you guys know more about our situation than I do."

"Well, none of us have a clue, sorry to break it to you."

"Are we so sure we can trust Azazel?" Terrias asked, "I mean, if he _is_ the son of Deitus, and he possesses all of the same powers that Deitus does...he seems like a threat that we should probably wipe out, too. Even if he doesn't immediately pose one, he may later down the road. Best take him down early while we still have the advantage than wake up one morning to find that little Zazzy decided to follow in his daddy's footsteps after all."

"THANK YOU!" Nick exclaimed, "Finally! Someone agrees with me!"

"He's the one that _found_ your sorry asses!" Spyro scowled, "He's our only insider within Deitus' inner circle, and our only chance of finding a way to kill the son of a bitch! He's too valuable an asset to do away with!"

"We can keep him alive for as long as Deitus treads the earth," Terrias clarified, "But once we take daddy and 'Uncle Vergil' down, I vote we kill Azazel, too. I don't very much like the idea of someone with _that_ much unchecked power wandering the planet."

"I agree," a human-form Piermont snorted, voice cold. The burns he had received during the assault on Avione had not only scarred his natural form, but were also registering, for some reason, on his human form as well.

 _Heh...stupid fools. Azazel is much stronger than even_ he _realizes. The beast is stronger than Vergil and Deitus combined!_ Necrodusk hissed.

Suddenly worried, Alex reiterated what the shadow-demon had told him.

"What!? How so?" Spyro exclaimed, "I thought Deitus was supposed to be this ultimate evil thing?"

 _Azazel is more powerful than any other creature alive...one of the peculiarities of demonic and angelic breeding, and one of the many reasons why the Father forbade those two species to bare children. With every generation of these celestial creatures being born, their strength increases exponentially, much the same way that a 'purebred' second generation mutant, born from two first-generation mutants—such as Spyro and Cynder, Terrias and Aria, Piermont and Cherub, or you and Ruby—is stronger than their parent. Two powerful beings pass their combined power to the offspring, making the creature that much stronger._

Alex repeated this to his comrades.

"Son of a bitch..." Spyro sighed, "So our best bet _is_ to kill Azazel then..."

"He might not get corrupted!" Ruby exclaimed, "I mean, he may never become a bad guy!"

"True, but the problem is, Ruby, that he's too dangerous to let run around. If he realizes how powerful he really is and somehow gets corrupted by that, then we won't have a chance to stop him..." Spyro replied, "Listen, I'm as against infanticide as the next guy...but it is _way_ too risky to let a demon like that run free. Especially since fucking up his dear old daddy will probably traumatize him, despite what he claims, leaving him that much more vulnerable to corruption. It's a liability we can't afford to have."

"Shouldn't we at least _talk_ to him about this first?" Alex asked, "Get his input on this?"

"Why? Just so he'll freak out and run off, paranoid that one day we _will_ try to kill him? All that will succeed in doing is make it all the easier for him to rogue on us. It's best he doesn't know."

"So we just stab him in the fucking back, is that it?" Alex hissed.

"Well, not when you put it that way," Spyro growled.

"What other way to put it is there!? Either way it's betrayal!"

"Listen, Alex, you have no idea what the _fuck_ we're putting up with!"

"Don't talk back to me you cocky son of a bitch!" the Commander growled, "I ain't gonna let you pull this shit!"

"STOP FIGHTING!" Rocket exclaimed, "Jesus Christ, just shut up!"

Collecting himself, Spyro continued in a cooler voice, "Listen, I understand your doubt, but look at this realistically, man. Azazel is _dangerous_! do you really want something like that roaming freely? I mean, isn't that why we're hunting Deitus to _begin_ with?"

"He's just a kid, Spyro!"

"A kid that has more power in the tip of his pinky than all of Alpha Company, _all_ of the Terminator Militia, and _all_ angels and demons _combined_!? Absolute power corrupts absolutely, it's a fact of life! It doesn't have to be painful, okay? It's a simple matter of sending Nick in there, one quick thrust, the demon is dead. Quick and painless."

"This is wrong..."

"So is letting a creature of unchecked power wander the earth. A fucking _demon_ no less!"

"So should you just kill Necrodusk, too, then?"

"If I had my way and I knew of a way to do so, then yeah, I'd kill Necrodusk, too."

 _You heartless bastard!_

 _Settle down, Necro_ , then audibly, "You know...Cynder was right, you _have_ changed."

"Oh don't give me that shit, Alex. You changed, too, the moment that fucking dolphin of yours entered the scene."

"Are we _really_ going back to this shit now?"

"You tell me! You started it!"

"STOP FIGHTING! BOTH OF YOU!" Eli growled, "Stay on topic! What the hell we gonna do about Deitus and Vergil? We're getting sidetracked!"

"That's exactly what we're trying to figure out, Eli," Spyro replied, "Problem is, we don't know what to fucking do. And I'll be damned if I'm gonna go back in there without a plan...we lucked out to escape with our asses intact last time."

"There must be something," Alex sighed.

"No shit there must be something, but I can't think of it, can you?"

"Spyro, piss off," Terrias grunted, "You're not helping matters."

"Kiss my ass, Terrias."

Eli, Rocket, and Cynder glared at the servine, who only shook his head, raising his hands in surrender.

"Maybe we can take advantage of Azazel," Piermont chuckled grimly, "Use him to infiltrate Deitus' castle, that way we can kill all three of them without any problems."

"We're not killing Azazel," Alex replied, "End of story."

"Say what you want," Piermont grinned darkly, "But if I find myself in a room alone with the cocksucker," he made a gun out of his fingers, pretending to take aim and fire, exhaling a puff of air in a vague resemblance of a 'pow' sound.

"Why?" a terrified voice suddenly spoke, startling everyone in the room, and all eyes turned to face Azazel standing in the archway between the parlor and the kitchen, his eyes were wide with hurt and fear, and he bore his fangs in terror, "What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing," Alex replied, "I'm not going to let them hurt you, don't worry."

Ruby nodded in the affirmative.

The goat boy only shook his head, "I am _not_ my father! I will not become him!"

"We don't know that," Spyro growled, "We've seen how power corrupts...it's even worse for people who are pure of heart, like you."

"I don't want to die!"

"It won't hurt," the purple dragon reassured, "We'll make sure it's painless."

"For fuck's sake! SHUT UP!" Alex growled, "We are NOT going to hurt him! Just listen to yourself man! You sound like some goddamn serial killer!"

"So I'm a serial killer because I don't think _any_ demon should be allowed to roam freely around the earth? Sure, I'll take that title then, proudly."

"You know what? Who's the _real_ fucking monster here?" Alex snarled, "Who's the one that's calling for unnecessary death and suffering?"

"DEMONS ARE DEMONS!" Spyro roared, "They are the very _fucking embodiment_ of evil! Isn't that what the Bible _WARNS US ABOUT!?_ "

"Now you sound like some religious zealot!" Alex hissed.

"Sorry for looking after the well-being of mankind. But you are not one to preach Alex, considering you and your..." he snarled in disgust, "Fucking harem!"

"Oh my God..." Eli groaned, planting his head in his hands and rubbing his temples, "You guys are fucking morons."

"I feel you, brother," Rocket sighed.

"Zaz, don't worry," Dash reassured gently approaching the goat boy, who only backed away, shaking his head.

"Don't hurt me..." he replied, voice small, "Please...I-I don't want to die..."

The pegasus stopped in her tracks then, looking sadly towards the ground and turning to where Spyro stood, fuming.

After several minutes passed and no one moved to approach him, Azazel's fearful expression took on one of hurt and sadness. "I came to warn you that Uncle Vergil is on his way...he says that this city is going to become his new kingdom...but I see that you don't really care about that, you just care about finding a way to kill me..." he looked away, "I won't bother you any longer...I'm sorry..." and in the blink of an eye, he vanished.

"Azazel!" Alex exclaimed, shooting up, "ZAZ!" but realizing that the boy wasn't coming back, he only collapsed back into his armchair, glaring viciously towards the purple dragon.

"Don't give me that fucking look, Alex," Spyro replied harshly, "I'm doing what's best for the world...sorry for actually _giving_ a damn."

"No," Cynder replied bitterly, "You're doing what's best for yourself."

The dragon turned towards his mate, wearing an annoyed expression, "You really turning against me again?"

"I'm not turning _against_ you," the she-dragon replied, "He hasn't done anything wrong!"

"Uh...guys...?" Eli interrupted, although he was ignored, "Shouldn't we be trying to figure out what the kid meant by Vergil coming here?"

"You all are turning against me!" the dragon replied viciously, "Except for Piermont, surprisingly enough. I'm doing everything I can to _help_ you all, and you're sitting here beating my ass for it! What the hell!?"

"No," Cynder hissed, "You're becoming some kind of monster! Talking about murdering an innocent child!? Who _does_ that!?"

"HE'S NOT INNOCENT!" the dragon roared, "HE IS A GODDAMN DEMON!"

"He's just a child!"

"HE'S A FUCKING DEMON!"

Suddenly, the front door opened behind them, and Zinnia stumbled into the room, out of breath, "Uh...have you guys taken a look outside recently?"

"Not right now, Zinnia!" Spyro roared, but he was ignored as the others were instantly out of their chairs and crowding around the window. The sky outside had darkened considerably, dark maroon clouds were beginning to circle around the city, and the air smelled strongly of sulfur.

"What the hell?" Alex exclaimed, stumbling outside and standing on the brick path leading towards the gate to the compound. Ash began to rain down from the heavens like snow, and an unnaturally hot wind blew past them, strengthening the stench of sulfur and adding a new aroma to the mix...charred flesh. In a flash of light, millions of Imps appeared in the skies, flocking the city like a cloud of locusts. "Jesus _CHRIST!_ Get back inside!"

As the unit turned to return inside, the ground quaked beneath them, as if some giant behemoth was stomping towards them, knocking them all to the ground. Outside, the street buckled and burst, cracks spider-webbing throughout the city. Parked cars were overturned, alarms went off, and moving vehicles either sank into the rapidly forming pits or were thrown into the sidewalk.

"It's Vergil!" Sam exclaimed, "We need to leave!" 

"I'm not letting New Alexandria go down like Newcastle!" Alex hissed, "Zinnia, call Heinrich, tell him to get our flame units ready!"

"I'm sure he's already doing that, but I'll check just to be sure...where are _you_ going!?"

Alex paused inside the doorway, turning to face them again, "Arming up!" before disappearing inside. As he neared the top of the stairs, several shadow knights crawled out of the floor, charging towards the Commander, who quickly set them alight with his pyrokinesis, throwing open his door and quickly readying himself.

Back outside, Alpha Company was already engaged, fighting swarms of the shadow creatures that had emerged. "Up there!" Zinnia exclaimed, pointing to the sky, and Alex watched as a black, shadowy mist collected into a above the city, solidifying to reveal Vergil's smiling form.

"This will do nicely for my new palace!" he chuckled, his airy, unamplified voice almost omnipresent, reverberating through the unit's minds and bodies. He disintegrated once more into the misty cloud, sailing rapidly towards somewhere unknown. Portals, dripping black, gooey ichor onto the ground below, suddenly opened up throughout the skies, and oily black tentacles emerged from within, squirming like a cluster of worms. More of the shadow knights crawled through the ground, leaving posing as obstacles for Alpha Company to tear through _en route_ to the gates to their estate. Upon reaching them, the ground cracked open beneath them, tentacles slithered out from within, wrapping themselves around the gate and blocking the path, several others poking out to swipe and stab towards the unit.

Spyro and Cynder opened their maws to spew fire onto the creatures, writhing and screeching in agony before rapidly pulling back into the ground, and Piermont, with a roar, plowed through the gates, knocking them off their hinges. As they ran through the city, making their way towards Town Center. Citizens fled in terror as tentacles, having burst through the ground trapped them and, in some cases, impaled them, sapping their life energy until they remained nothing but mummified husks that collapsed into piles of dust upon the ground.

Another earth-shattering rumbled knocked the unit to the ground, followed by a loud, echoing crack, as if something massive had just shattered and broken. "Holy shit! Look over there!" Kira exclaimed, pointing to the north. The sandstone perimeter walls around the city had broken into massive chunks, now hovering in the air and collecting into a windy vortex within the center of the surrounding cloud cover, directly above the perfect center of the city. The broken walls came together then, fusing into a cluster that formed a sort of floating island in the sky. Hovering above the land, nothing more than a speck from this distance, was the black, shadowy silhouette of Vergil, arms outspread as if mounted to a crucifix, massive tentacles writhing and squirming from portals around him.

"What the hell is he doing!?" Cynder asked.

Once the floating island had been formed, small cyclones formed in the skies, a dozen tiny tornadoes touching down and tearing through the city, pulling up pieces of buildings and monuments and carrying them towards the floating island where they were meshed haphazardly together into a twisted amalgamation resembling a castle. Their paralysis breaking, Alpha Company continued their mad dash across the broken streets, dodging groups of screaming civilians and squealing cars towards Town Center, seeming to be the hypocenter of Vergil's attack. All around them, more tentacles broke through the ruined streets, swiping, binding, and devouring the fleeing groups. Buildings to either side of the street were quickly reduced to ruins, with tentacles punching through their walls and windows, squirming and slithering towards any living thing with their reach. Mixing with these were _Filios Diaboli_ 's shadow-knights, now joined by newly-created Thralls, rabidly tackling and tearing into unfortunate civilians and soldiers alike. The closer the unit neared Town Center, the thicker the concentration of _Filios Diaboli_ became, and it didn't take long before they started seeing the infested, animated corpses of the Sluggers lumbering around.

"This is worse than the friggin' Reapers!" Rocket exclaimed, "I'd take those machines over friggin' Cthulhu here!"

Once they finally arrived at their destination, they realized just how bad the situation was. An eerie mist had settled over the area, making it impossible to see within. In addition to this, a forcefield akin to the one that had enclosed the Coliseum during the ritual to release Deitus stood between the encircling streets and plaza. Thankfully, this barrier managed to keep the mist contained within, and even though no one _outside_ could pass through this invisible wall, this mist seemed to be responsible for spawning the Thralls and Sluggers that were wandering the streets. Occasionally, tentacles would emerge from within, grabbing passing civilians and pulling them violently into the cloud...this seemed to be the only way someone on the outside could get in.

"I know you don't want to leave the city," Cynder began, "But we might not have a choice, Alex! We can't fight back against these things! We need to regroup and organize ourselves!"

"And where the fuck are we supposed to go, mate!?"

"I...I don't know, but we'll have to figure out something! We can't stay here!"

Reluctantly, Alex agreed and the unit continued on, setting their sides on the south business district, hoping to reach the gates before they were cornered in the chaos. By the time they reached their destination, Vergil's forces had almost completed their siege, and the streets were eerily quiet, broken only by the occasional _Filios Diaboli_ unit that wandered aimlessly throughout the streets, patrolling for any survivors of the attack.

Just as they reached gates, skirting the bloody corpses of people who had failed to evacuate, an all-too-familiar roar sounded, and three Lesser Breakers leaped from behind the buildings around them to stand between them and their destination...however, they did not attack. Tentacles burst from the cracked asphalt below, wrapping themselves around each member of the unit and pulling them forcefully towards the ground. They struggled against the writhing mass, slick with goo, disgustingly cold, soft, and smooth, only to hear Vergil's omnipresent laughter echo throughout the world, spying the multiversal himself descending from a hover above the streets. "So," he chuckled, "We meet again! Deitus will be most pleased to find that his friends have finally arrived for supper."

"You're dead!" Alex managed, struggling to breathe against the tentacle wrapped around his throat, "I saw him kill you!"

"Ah...but you see, he didn't _kill_ me per say...he simply needed my strength to finally regain his true form...which I willingly surrendered to him."

"You exploded!" Alex hissed, "I saw you! You were destroyed."

"HE HAS A SHARD OF MANUS!" Nick exclaimed, managing to free himself from the tentacle that had gagged him.

"Oh, smart boy...I like him..." Vergil grinned toothily once more, "It was a gift from my old friend...an apology...and it has made me even _more_ powerful!"

"He will kill you, too!" Alex managed, "Once we're done, he'll go after you!"

Vergil chuckled, "Ah, perhaps...but until that day, I am a king, a ruler of the world! And of course..." he rotated in mid-hover to face the ruined city, "What is a king without a kingdom?"

Here, Zinnia managed to wrestle an arm free, reaching into her satchel to fish out an incendiary grenade. In a flash of heat and light, it detonated, the flames devouring the tentacles and quickly creeping up towards the restrained Alpha Company. They managed to free themselves in the chaos, quickly diving out of the way before the flames could reach them, and Vergil's attention instantly turned to face the unit, now standing on the opposite side of the wall of fire from him.

He bellowed laughter, exclaiming, "Do you _really_ think you can resist me? I am more powerful than you can _ever_ imagine, especially now!"

"Take this, you bastard!" Zinnia roared, throwing yet _another_ incendiary grenade at the multiversal. It impacted, devouring him in flames and forcing him to mist with a scream, the smoke quickly dissipating into the air. Now free, Alpha Company quickly fled to the broken gates, passing through into the scorched Burned Lands beyond. Before Zinnia could reach it, however, four tentacles tore through the streets, restraining her arms and legs and forcing her down onto the pavement, trapping her in place.

"ZINNIA!" Alex roared, turning to head back.

"Go!" she exclaimed, struggling to break free, "HURRY! Before he comes back!"

Reluctantly, he rotated on his heels to continue following his unit into the Burned Lands, wanting to get as far away from the captured city as they could, leaving the girl and much of their comrades behind.


	41. Chapter XL: Alea Iacta Est

_**Chapter XL**_ **:**

 **-'' _Alea Iacta Est_ ''-**

 **-Vermilion, Illinois-**

 **- _28 March 2016_ -**

 **- _2218 Hours_ -**

Alex and Alpha Company trudged across the lawn to the front door of the Commander's parents' house in Vermilion, Illinois, exhausted after the day's excursions. The Commander didn't even have to knock before the door opened and his father stepped aside to allow the unit inside. "You're alive!" his father exclaimed, "Where've you been? What happened?"

"Long story..." Alex replied, "Too tired to explain it now..."

"What are you doing here?"

"We lost New Alexandria," Spyro replied, trotting along behind the Commander.

"To who this time?"

"An ancient god," the dragon smirked, "One who's literally about to bring about Armageddon."

"I think it's time I told you guys about some...religious things..." the Commander sighed, collapsing on the couch, "Maybe you might get an understanding of what's going on then..."

"So...let me get this straight," Alex's father began, sitting cross-legged on the couch, "You are the reincarnation of some ancient archangel that was erased from the Bible, and Ruby is the reincarnation of this archangel's wife?"

"Yes," Alex replied, "And I know it sounds weird...but it's the truth. Trust me, I hardly believe it myself."

"I can support him," Sam replied, "I've dedicated most of my life researching this."

"So what does this...Vergil...want with you then?"

"Oh, he's not the one that wants anything with us," Terrias smirked, "It's Deitus, Vergil's bestie."

"So, what does _Deitus_ want with you then?"

"Deitus is the son of Messorem and Vitam...they're also the ones who tossed him down to Hell in the _first_ place," Ruby replied, "He's seeking revenge against them, so he's seeking revenge against _us_. He wants to take down Alpha Company as well because they embody the _Old Regime_..."

"Which was this...Messorem's...personal army, right?" Alex's father asked.

"It wasn't his personal army," Alex replied, "But it was the unit that he commanded."

"None of this makes any sense," the Commander's mother said, "Are you _trying_ to force things into the Bible that weren't there initially? You know God frowns upon that, right?"

 _This woman does not know anything_ , Necrodusk hissed, _Her ignorance is disgusting._

"Except there's a _reason_ why Messorem's story was cut out of the Bible," Sam replied, "There are _many_ 'lost' books from the Bible that never made it into modern translations."

"Why haven't we never heard of this Messorem character then?"

"Because he was supposed to be forgotten!"

"Then how come _you_ know about it?"

Furious now, Necrodusk forcefully took control over Alex's body, scowling in his deep, layered voice, "Perhaps if you would _listen_ to what we are trying to tell you, you would understand!"

Both of the Commander's parents backed away from them terrified, with his mother screaming in fear.

"Messorem was forcefully removed from the Biblical texts because of Vitam's betrayal...a punishment which the Archreaper opted to take himself. I know this because _WE ARE MESSOREM!_ My vessel embodies the other half of the ancient archangel. Messoremel and Vitamel are real, and even though they were wiped from the ancient texts, they and their story are _still_ relevant to the days we are in at this time. Deitus desires revenge against his parents—Ruby and us—for casting him down to Hell following the War in Heaven...he is merely using Vergil as a tool in this ultimate objective."

"What _are_ you!?" Alex's mother screeched, "Are you a demon!?"

"Indeed he is..." a male voice replied behind her, and all eyes turned to face the visitor, a man appearing of late thirties or early forties in age. He wore an expensive, pinstripe suit, a fedora upon his head, he wielded a cane and smoked a thick cigar, appearing as if he had been torn straight from the 1940s. Holding himself high, the man strolled across the room, continuing, "What they say is the truth."

"Who the hell are you!?" Alex's mother screamed, "How did you get in here!?"

The man chuckled, brown eyes darting back and forth between her and the startled Alpha Company, "Just call me Gabriel...and you left the door open."

"No I..." Alex's father replied, but as he turned to face the front door, he found, much to his shock, that it was wide open, despite the fact he had closed and locked it after Alpha had entered.

Gabriel took a long drag on his cigar, tapping it off in an ash tray that seemed to appear out of nowhere on the piano sitting in the corner of the room, "Messoremel, Vitamel...it's been awhile."

"Gabriel..." Necrodusk hissed, "And what reason could you possibly have for involving yourself in our affairs? I thought you were beyond dealing with simple mortals."

"Oh...but you're not just simple mortals, are you? No, you're the _Old Regime_. I hear your son's raising hell across the world," he wore a cocky grin, "I told you to keep him on a shorter leash."

"You can thank Vergil for that...I thought Michael had all the multiversals slaughtered?"

"Well, apparently one got away...Vergil was always a cowardly lot. You _do_ realize that you're going to have to go down there and kill him, right?"

"Unfortunately, but it's easier said than done."

"What are you doing lounging over here then? Deitus is bringing down the Omniverse onto the Base World...he needs to be stopped."

"Actually, it's _Vergil_ who's collapsing the Omniverse, Deitus has his own mission."

"Regardless, they _both_ need to be put down."

Necrodusk smirked, "Wasn't Deitus _Old Regime_? I thought he was needed to bring about Armageddon?"

"He is," Gabriel replied, taking another drag from his cigar, "Which is why you need to kill him...he has to be reborn into the _Old Regime_."

"How do you intend to do that?" Necrodusk grinned darkly, "In case you haven't noticed, your little punishment to banish Vitam into that dolphin's body has ruined any chance we have of impregnating her."

"I have an idea how to work around that...nothing you need to worry _too_ much about. What's important is that you kill Deitus and harvest his soul so that he can be reborn."

"He's immortal, he cannot be killed by conventional means."

"Oh, but you'll find a way, won't you. Oh! What am I saying, of course you will! That's part of your job!"

"You were always an ass."

"It's called tough love, Messoremel, Father is furious with the events going on in the world today...He makes sure we know all about it. None of this would be a problem had you killed Deitus like you were ordered to, instead of simply banishing him to Purgatory."

"I didn't think he would be able to escape," Necrodusk growled, "Ophelia's spells were powerful."

"Even _you_ should know that everything decomposes eventually...even witchcraft."

"Well it's too late to fix that now, isn't it?"

"Indeed it is...which is why you have your work cut out for you. Oh, and while you're at it, you might as well go kill Vergil for Michael, maybe that might even put you on the track to get friendly with the Court again, Messoremel. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to report _more_ bad news to Father...so thanks for that," and in the blink of an eye, he had vanished into thin air, along with any trace of his presence. The smell of his cigar lingered briefly before dissipating completely.

With a snort, Necrodusk hissed, "I hate that bastard," and he returned into the depths of Alex's mind, giving control back to the Commander and retreating into his corner.

An awkward silence lingered in the air for several minutes before Alex's mother asked, "Was that...was that just _Archangel_ Gabriel?"

"That's my assumption," Spyro replied, "Really, Necro? Do you _really_ haveto piss off the ANGELS OF HEAVEN!?"

 _He's an asshole and he made me angry._

Alex reiterated this statement, which caused most of Alpha Company to break down into laughter.

Once everyone had regained control over themselves, Terrias asked, "So...how and when are we going to go after Deitus? In case you guys haven't noticed, we kinda left everyone behind back in New Alexandria...who knows if Vergil has killed or imprisoned them by now."

"We could just send in Alpha Company, maybe any other militaries or militias we can scrounge up..." Alex sighed.

"We won't stand a chance, Alex," Spyro replied, "We barely escaped with our asses _last_ time, and that's with an entire Terminator invasion force on our side...you know, everybody mutated and our superior firepower."

"Do you have any better ideas? If we don't do something, and fast, we're fucked."

"Don't make the same fucking mistake you did back during _Operation: EVE I_ ," Spyro growled, "We've tested the waters around there...it's too dangerous and we won't stand a ghost of a chance."

 _We must take the chance_ , Necrodusk replied, _The longer we wait, the worse our chances of success grow_.

"Then what does that dumbass demon think then?"

 _That's not nice._

"Nobody cares, Necrodusk."

"He's right," Alex replied, "Deitus is only getting stronger...and the longer we wait, the more we lose. Do we really want to wait six months and lose _another_ one of our major assets which is only continuing to cut down our chances of success? We need to get down there, we've lost too much already, and we need to attack while we still have a chance."

"That's just it, we _don't_ have a chance!" Spyro hissed.

"If you really believe that, then you can sit on your ass here, we'll leave you behind, but we _will_ attack soon. At least right now we still have a slight chance, which is better than _no_ chance."

"You're an idiot."

"And you are a coward, and a pissy, bitchy little snob," Alex snarled, stunning the dragon, "What do you guys think? We just sit here and twiddle our thumbs? Or we go down there, take Deitus down, or die trying?"

"I say let's fuck this little brat up," Elli replied, "He wants Alpha Company? He'll get Alpha Company."

"I hope you realize that if we _do_ go down there," Spyro began, "We either succeed or we're dead, because I don't think Deitus will let us pull out again."

" _I_ _acta alea est_ ," Alex replied, "The die has been cast, it was cast when Vergil attacked New Alexandria. If we don't attack now, we _won't_ succeed."

"Are you _really_ willing to get us all killed?" Spyro hissed.

"It's a risk we'll have to take, we're out of time to hesitate, every second we waste halting the inevitable is another reduction of our chances. Deitus is only getting stronger and we are only getting weaker..." then he examined each member of his unit, "God is with us, it's time to put our faith in Him."

"Nice speech," Spyro scoffed, "But your short-fused, little parasite pissed off the angels, in case you didn't notice, so if I were God, I'd give this entire unit the big middle finger."

"And that is _exactly_ why you are unfit to command any longer," Alex hissed, "Now you can either suck it up, butttercup, or get the bloody _fuck_ out of here, because I'm tired of your bullshit," he stood up then, "Now, we should probably get to sleep...we have one _hell_ of a day tomorrow."


	42. Chapter XLI: Progeny

_**Chapter XLI**_ **:**

 **-''Progeny''-**

 **-Isla del Diablo, Chile-**

 **-** _ **30 March 2016**_ **-**

 **-** _ **0914 Hours**_ **-**

Alpha Company neared the island shrouded in darkness from the permanent, circling clouds above the entire area. Thunder boomed and lightning flashed in the windy skies, illuminating the silhouetted land around them. The torrential waves beneath rocked the ships that they _had_ managed to recruit for the assault, and already two of their battleships had been capsized by the waves. "This is ridiculous!" Spyro exclaimed over the deafening winds and fierce, unrelenting downpour, "At this rate we won't even _REACH_ the island!"

"Keep pushing ahead!" Alex roared back, "It's too late to turn back now!"

"What the _hell_ do you expect us to do? We can't even reach the island against this super typhoon!"

"Keep moving!"

Thunder cracked like a whip, almost deafening in its intensity, and a streak of lightning surged past Dash's wing, startling the pegasus and the entirety of the _Commander's Wing_. The Commander, riding upon her back, pressed his body as close to hers as possible to prevent being blow off by the violent, powerful winds. A dozen Minor Beams had opened up across the mainland, and even more were opened up along the sea, illustrating that they were very near the epicenter of the forces collapsing the Greater Beams.

"Hold on tight!" Silver called over the wind, folding her wings and dropping like a stone out of the sky, lowering her altitude to lessen the chance of getting struck by the rampant, uncontrollable streak lightning.

"I can't believe we're fucking doing this!" Spyro exclaimed, "This is suicide!"

"We either kill Deitus or die trying!" Alex roared, "We're out of time!"

"Do you really think we're even gonna be able to _reach_ the fucking island!? This storm is tearing us apart!"

Finally, they reached the island, watching as the tropical forest below blew wildly against the devastating winds. The rain was hard and stung like needles upon contact with the skin, the very sound of the storm itself drowned out all verbal communication, even their radios weren't working properly. The bright side of the storm was that the skies were too violent for the Imps, providing at least _some_ relief from _Filios Diaboli_. In the distance, at the very center of the island, a singular mountain rose into the air, the volcano's mouth smoking and steaming. Hovering above the crater was an obsidian black castle, as black as night, and even from the beach they could see that a sort of forcefield was hanging around it.

The _Commander's Wing_ landed on the white, sandy beaches, taking on human forms and tightening their raincoats against the wind and putting on masks to protect them from the flying sand. Several small tornadoes raced along the torrential tides, spitting debris in every direction, and Alpha Company found themselves being fired upon by rocks, branches, leaves, and sand. Their battleships braved the seas to near the island, laying heavily upon the living forest with artillery barrages. A few tanks were dropped in to aid in the offensive, but only _one_ of them was a flame tank, which Alex ordered the rest of the column to defend.

 _He's waiting for us..._ Necrodusk warned.

 _Good,_ Alex replied, _He won't be waiting for very long._

They quickly established a relatively stable beachhead, beginning their approach to the treeline a quarter of a mile up the beach, firing everything they had towards the living forest. A streak of lightning struck one of the trees in the center of the forest, and now smoke was pouring into the skies from a raging and rapidly growing forest fire. _Filios Diaboli_ shadow-knights crawled out of the ground, snarling towards the unit before racing towards them at unnatural speeds, and flamethrower infantry busied themselves with covering the area around the advancing squads in towering flames, unharmed by the relentless storm.

Alex sought cover in a crater towards the center of the beach, ordering Alpha Company to remain close to him. The flame tank idled near the crater, the rest of the defending tanks and accompanying flamethrower infantrymen ensuring that _Filios Diaboli_ did not get near it. "Stay near the tanks!" Alex roared, "They'll supply cover! We need to defend the flame tank at all costs!"

"Are you sure this is going to work!?" Spyro asked.

"It has to!"

Once the unit had regrouped, Alex smacked the side of the flame tank, signaling it to continue forward, and Alpha Company remained near the machine, keeping the swarming shadow-knights off of it. It didn't take long for Thralls to join in on the assault, and the unit found themselves being forced to move further and further away from the covering tanks in order to neutralize them before they could damage or destroy the flame tank. Still, Alex tried his best to keep everyone as close together as possible, taking a careful, slow crawl to the treeline over a rapid advance. The battle kept recalling memories of his research on historical battles such as Thermopylae, they were heavily outmanned and outgunned, plus they were fighting on Deitus' home turf. If he didn't carefully plot and organize every move they made, he could make one small, fatal mistake.

"What the hell are we doing just standing here, dumbass!?" Kira exclaimed, "We're gonna get ripped apart!"

"We need to do this very carefully!" Alex replied, "Trust me!"

"Why don't we fly over all this shit!?" Kira scowled, "Helluva lot faster than the pace we're going!"

"And get impaled when the wind blows us into the trees? No thank you! 'Sides, it seems the winds are coming from that volcano, meaning Deitus has control over them...we won't survive if he does!"

"I'm doubting we'll survive _period_!"

"Have a little faith, huh?" then, "Let's move up! Stay together and stick with the tanks!"

For two hours they crept across the beach, gaining a little ground whenever they could and ensuring they could hold it before moving forward. Nearing the treeline, it seemed that everything was going according to plan...at least for now. Concentration of _Filios Diaboli_ forces was high, but it was still tolerable, especially given that they attacked in clusters, allowing a few sweeps from the flame tank or its accompanying flamethrowers to take them down, while the defending tanks themselves were efficient in clearing away any Thralls that arrived on scene. As long as they kept going the way they were doing things, taking great care in their advance, they should not have to worry about any problem in reaching their destination, it would just take time. This proved to be the hardest part of the battle for Alex: the more they managed to advance, the more determined, proud, and impatient he became, and he was fighting himself to keep going at the pace they were going now, as slow and cumbersome as it was.

The storm slowly began to ease, and although it was still too harsh to allow any flying or rapid advancement, it had eased enough to allow Imps to take flight and start pestering the forces on the ground, making it absolutely necessary that they got into the thick jungle between the beach and the castle which would serve to funnel and slow the small, rapid, winged demons, making them easier targets to hit and less dangerous to fight. Alex was surprised not to encounter any Lesser Breakers as of yet, but chose to maintain his silence, not wanting to curse them to an encounter with the nearly indestructible behemoths as Alpha Company had mentioned to him time and time again. There was some push-back from _Filios Diaboli_ , but for every foot they lost, they gained three more. At last, they reached the forest, and Alex ordered the armor and artillery to lay into the treeline with everything they had, hopefully to weaken the living jungle enough that they could start making progress through it as well. When the smoke cleared after the barrage, revealing a sizable and slowly repairing breach, Alex ordered for them to swiftly move into the jungle. Now inside, tree branches slithered to close the breach behind them, and they found the unnatural foliage attempting to block off their advance. The flame tanks and accompanying flamethrowers made short work of these, however, and they advanced significantly faster than they had on the beach. _Filios Diaboli_ concentration had lightened considerably, and even though it still posed a problem, it wasn't _nearly_ as bad as it was before.

Rolling into a bog which slowed the tanks' progress down to an agonizing crawl, Sluggers crawled out of the oily, gooey swamp. Thankfully, the fluid that ichorous fluid comprising the swamp was flammable, and the advancing forces were able to cut them down before their numbers became overwhelming, taking care not to ignite themselves. Soon, more shadow-knights and Thralls arrived on scene to engage, but being funneled through the unnaturally thick treeline, they were little more than a pest and did little to break the advance. "Keep moving forward!" Alex exclaimed, "We're making good progress!"

Upon exiting the bog, they blazed a trail towards the nearby mountain, its proximity signified through the dark jungle by the rapidly increasing grade upon which they were traveling, calling upon memories of Charity Hill to the Commander, and the Tans' many obstacles to read the ridge overlooking the basin within which the fortress lay.

"We're almost there!" Alex roared victoriously.

 _This is too easy..._ Necrodusk commented, _It should be much harder than this._

 _Don't say that, Necro..._

 _It's the truth. Be very careful, I can't help but feel that Deitus is_ trying _to lead us to his residence._

 _Why? What purpose could it serve besides wanting to kill Ruby and I personally...and taking his bloody damn time to do so?_

 _I'm not sure, but just...be careful._

Alex relayed Necrodusk's message to the others of the unit but continued on, paying close attention to his surroundings, scanning for any potential ambushes or dangers lurking in the shadows. A mist, reeking strongly of sulfur, soon settled over the path, irritating their eyes, even through their masks, and they found some difficulty as _Filios Diaboli_ took advantage of this natural cover seeping from the volcano to ambush the column. Soon, however, the tanks managed to burn their way through the thick treeline and into a clearing that encircled the volcano itself. The storm picked up once more, now raining burning ash down upon them in addition to the rain, and occasional quakes deep underground would knock them unsteady. _Filios Diaboli_ forces used the caking ash around the mountain to hide, breaking through to attack the advancing column when they least suspected it, and it didn't take long before the roars of Lesser Breakers sounded, accompanied by two of the behemoths crawling out of the crater and sliding down the steep surface to engage.

"Fight them back!" Alex roared, "We're close! We need to fight our way to that castle!"

The ash caking the ground completely halted the tanks' advancement, and the machines themselves were quickly dispatched by the Breakers before they turned their attention to the infantry.

"We're so close! We can't let them bring us down!" Alex spat, emptying everything he had into the defending forces, dodging the Breakers to allow Nick to take them down.

The earth rumbled once more, this time much more violent than the last, and tentacles stabbed forth from the thick, foot-deep layer of soft ash, swiping towards them, occasionally latching onto them and pulling them down. In addition to this, Imps poured out of the volcano's crater, filling the skies and overwhelming the rapidly dwindling infantry. At the base of the volcano, shadow-knights crawled out of the ground, joining the Thralls that emerged from the forest and the crater above in an attempt to slay the approaching Alpha Company.

 _Deitus is getting desperate..._ Necrodusk reassured, _He is throwing everything he has at us._

"So I've noticed!" Alex exclaimed, dodging a sword-wielding shadow-knight before engulfing him in flames through the Commander's pyrokinesis.

 _Something still is not right about all of this...it is almost like he's...like he's going easy on us._

"How the fuck do you say that!? We're getting our asses handed to us by these bastards!"

 _It should be much worse than it is...I do_ not _like this at all...something else is going on._

"Surprised Deitus is maintaining radio silence...seems like the kinda guy that'd taunt our asses all the way to his doorstep!"

Grimly, the shadow-demon replied, _He is_.

"Then what the _hell_ is he doing!?" and the Commander ducked out of the way of a swinging tentacle.

 _I am unsure, and this is exactly what leaves me worried._

Alex was the first to reach the crater of the volcano, and he slid to a stop upon the edge, watching wide-eyed as the magma below swayed and pop. Debris rained down into the sea, flaring and hissing upon contact. His eyes snapped up to face the castle, hovering on a floating island a hundred feet above him. _We need to find a way up there..._ the Commander thought.

 _Perhaps you can convince one of your flying friends to take you up there?_

 _The storm is too violent...if they get thrown into that magma, they're finished..._

Suddenly, the ground cracked and shattered beneath him, and Alex cried out as he plummeted towards the crater, sliding down the steep, hill surface and barely managing to grab onto the ledge. Less than a hundred feet beneath him, the magma swirled and hissed as the platform he had been standing on broke away into the torrent below. " _SHIT!_ " he hissed, trying to grab onto something firm through the soft ash and pull himself up, but he couldn't grip anything, and like shingles sliding out beneath a roofer's feet, he couldn't hold on much longer, the fine grain providing a surprisingly slick surface. When at last his grip finally broke, he cried out as he began his descent, the wind knocked out of him when a cold, steely hand grabbed onto his, holding him over the edge. " _Ruby!_ " he exclaimed, eyes turning to face the dolphin, trying to pull him back up with all her might, desperately attempting to keep her gauntlet telekinetically attached. Flashbacks of his capture by the Reapers surged through his mind, and the Commander was aware of Zack's taunting voice reverberating throughout his head.

 _Now why does_ this _seem familiar, hmm?_

Although he couldn't see the apparition, the Commander could only assume that he was sitting casually over the crater behind him, watching the events unfold. "Hold on, Alex!" Ruby exclaimed, "I've got you!"

"Careful! It's slick!" Alex replied, his eyes widening as he spied Ruby's tail flukes sliding precariously on the ashen ground, raining the noxious dust into his eyes, nose, and mouth. After falling on her back several times, she finally managed to find enough of a grip to put her full weight forth and pull her mate back on the ledge. Alex collapsed on his back, breathing heavily, eyes turning back to the rim of the crater ten feet up. The grade between him and that was far too slick and far too steep to get up there by himself, and he telepathically called out for one of his comrades to help him. Before he was even aware of what was going on, the ground quaked and trembled beneath him, he heard a sound like something digging through the ash, and just as he registered what was about to happen, an ashen tentacle stabbed forward from the dust, impaling Ruby through the chest and forcing her over the edge. It tightened briefly, Ruby body dangling over the abyss before the tentacle rapidly pulled her back up. The momentum of the pull dislodged the dolphin's body from the object, launching her back onto the crater's rim where she slid to a stop. " _RUBY!_ " Alex howled, " _NO!_ " but in his shock, he had shifted his weight, causing more of the ashen terrain to give out beneath him. He reached for the ledge as he slid over the edge, missing it and began his descent into the boiling rock below.

Several tentacles burst from the wall of the crater then, darting forward and wrapping themselves around Alex's limbs before launching him back up to the crater rim as if from the recoil of a bungee cord. Quickly recovering his lost breath, Alex picked himself up and stumbled over to Ruby, collapsing by her side.

"Ruby!" he exclaimed, gently examining the injury.

"I'm...fine," she replied through forced breath, "You need...to stop Deitus...!"

 _I'm afraid just_ one _of you isn't going to suffice...I want_ both!Deitus' omnipresent voice laughed, chuckling through both of their heads, and before either knew what was happening, a harsh screech sounded throughout the air. Four Imps appeared from above, grabbing them both and taking them into the air. They were flown up and over island upon which the castle sat, over the castle itself until they were nearly in the cloud cover. Only then did the Imps let go, dropping both of them through the air. They fell through a breach in the roof, striking broken stones protruding from the walls of the castle as they plummeted through the holes in several of the castle floors, finally coming to a rest in a bed of broken stone and petrified wood.

The temperature of the dark hall they found themselves in was uncomfortably warm, and Alex picked himself up, limping over to the dazed Ruby's form. Behind them, Alex snarled as he spied the door leading upstairs twenty feet off the ground. Unfortunately, the stairs heading up there had collapsed, making up part of the bed they had landed in. Turning to face his mate once again, "I've got you..." he managed, heaving her over his shoulders and carrying her deeper forward...the only direction they could go. Passing through a large, cracked-open door, they were greeted by a massive, circular room. Chains littered the floor and ceiling, tying the room's only other occupant to the center of the chamber. An immense, muscular, red-skinned, brown-furred satyr was held aloft in the center of the room by chains attached to his wrists and arms. His mighty, catlike paws ended in sharp, black talons. His cloven feet were busted and broken. Thick ropes of muscle lined his arms, bigger around than Alex's head, and his muscular chest was covered in scars and brands. He had two enormous, black ram horns upon his head, black hair rolling down to his shoulders and in the pits of his arms, his eyes were a bright, fiery orange, and he wore a mad grin, exposing large fangs. Extending from his rear was a forked, snakelike tail, flicking idly back and forth through the air above piles of excrement that surrounded him, and he was entirely nude, goat-like, flaccid genitals dangling between his mighty, outspread thighs.

"So...we meet at last..." he smirked, "Sorry for the mess, I didn't have time to clean before your arrival," as he spoke, his body swayed and dangled from his prison, the chains creaking and groaning in protest.

"Deitus..." Alex replied, gently lowering Ruby to the ground, "What the _hell_ do you want from us?"

"Quite simple really..." he grinned again, "I want yours and dear old mommy's heads on a _pike_! _YOU_ did this to me! Or rather...your _true_ incarnation."

 _Deitus, I was ordered to kill you, instead I spared your life!_ Necrodusk roared, and Alex didn't have to reiterate.

"Yes, and don't forget that you had me locked in these chains and thrown into the deepest reaches of Hell!" he nodded towards the shackles tied to his arms, "These chafe you know."

 _You did this to yourself when you sided with Lucifer!_

"I begged for forgiveness! Instead you left me to die and passed me that wonderfully poetic quote, ' _I am not your father, and you are not my son_ ' do you remember that? You did this to me and I was a victim to your pride and your arrogance, _dear Father_! Now, first off, allow me to say this...what's your name? Alex right?"

"Fuck you..." the Commander spat.

"Right! It was Alex! Anyway, first off, I gotta say that I was watching you _totally_ kicking ass out there, and may I say that you have gotten _so_ much better since you and that snake fellow fought in the _Devil's Arena_."

"I knew it was you.." Alex snarled.

Deitus gasped, "You _do_ remember me! Oh that makes me feel _so_ much happier! Have been doubting whether people _actually_ remember me lately...you know...since I can't really go anywhere," he nodded towards his binds before whispering, "Chains and all."

"How the hell did you break us out of prison? Or appear in the _Devil's Arena_ at all!"

"Funny story about that...actually no, not really. While I've been spending...well...all of eternity locked up in here, I learned how to project my fabulous image anywhere in the world. Think like a _really_ realistic hologram...I can even interact with the world! It's pretty cool, huh?"

"Eternity?"

"Yeah, they don't call these things the _Chains of Eternity_ for nothing..although in retrospect, name's a little cliché, don't you think? I would have picked something much more original, something like...oh I dunno, _Irons of Endlessness_ , _Bracelets of Boundlessness_ , _Manacles of Multitude_ , _Shackles of...Shackleness,_ I don't fucking know! Oh! Oh! How about 'Fetters of Fabulousness', huh? Huh?"

Alex was not amused.

"God damn it, you're no fun."

"You got us here," Alex snarled, "Happy?"

"Nah...I'll be much happier when you're dead. _En garde_! Oh! But before we start, I'm gonna have to enlist some...outside help, since I kinda am stuck here so... _en garde_!"

And the ground quaked once more as tentacles burst from the walls and floor, swiping towards Alex. Just as the Commander managed to evade the attack, more tentacles burst from Deitus' back in an explosion of blood and flesh, hissing and slithering about. At the back of the room, tentacles burst from the ground, slamming the wooden door shut and blocking exit.

"It's showtime!" Deitus chuckled, "Go get them my friends! Break a leg...no really, break his fucking leg."

The Commander dodged the tentacles' attacks, trying to find some way to kill the restrained archdemon, appearing bored and disinterested in the fight. Alex's eyes rapidly scanned across the room, searching for any weakness he could exploit, any weapon that he could use to slay the beast...finding no luck.

Finally, after several minutes, Deitus exclaimed, "All right! That's it! I'm bored now...let's liven things up a bit, whaddya say?" and a black aura grew around him. Before the Commander knew what was happening, he narrowly managed to roll out of the way of a massive wall of water zooming past at breackneck speeds, smashing into the wall of the room and bring down part of the wall, exposing the swirling sea of magma rocking nearby. Alex's eyes snapped towards the source of the attack, heart sinking upon spying Ruby hovering above the floor, eyes glowing orange, that black aura surrounding her. She launched another attack towards him, but Alex evaded this, too, quickly making his way to where Ruby was hovering, trying to catch her before she could hover away. When at last he reached, he tackled her to the ground, knocking her out of mid-hover and sending them both toppling towards the ground. She screamed, moving to attack him, but the Commander dodged these, squeezing his eyes shut as he wrapped his arms around Ruby's throat, cutting off her breath until she passed out. He threw her out of the way of a stabbing tentacle, rolling beneath the attack and setting it alight with his pyrokinesis. Now burning, the object screeched and rapidly retreated into the floor, with Deitus commenting, "Y'know, that kinda hurts."

"Good!" Alex snarled, launching pyrokinetic attacks around the room until the tentacles had pulled away...at least temporarily. With a grunt, the Commander turned to face Deitus, shortly before he felt Ruby's gauntlet smash across the back of his head and he collapsed to the ground. Ruby, once more glowing in that black aura, her eyes glowing orange, hovered towards where Deitus hanged, howling as she used the puddles of unknown fluid around the room to slash and swipe at the chains binding Deitus. "Ruby!" Alex exclaimed, running towards her, but without breaking her pace, she turned to face her mate, knocking him aside with a weak wall of that foul-smelling liquid. He picked himself up, watching as the chain snapped beneath Ruby's attacks and Deitus dropped abruptly to the ground, rubbing his wrists and popping his neck muscles.

"So much better..." he replied, knocking the dazed dolphin aside with a swipe of his forearm. It was here that Alex noticed several ancient, rusty weapons embedded into the beast's back, including several swords and what appeared to be a scythe, crusted in blood and rust. He reached around, tearing one of the weapons—a spear—free with a grunt and testing it's weight, nodding with a chuckle. As he approached the Commander, he twirled the weapon in his paw, not unlike Kira did, "Now that we're on fair terms...let's play!"

Alex leaped to his feet to attack, but was quickly ambushed by several more tentacles that punched through the stone floor, wrapping around his arms and forcing him to his knees. His head snapped up and he glared at the beast, snorting like a horse.

"Oh wait...did I say fair terms? I meant the same terms you used against me when you threw me down into the Pit! Hell, you got it easy...my little friends here are a helluva lot more comfortable than the thorned vines you had Mother restrain me with."

"That wasn't us, Deitus!"

"Right...right...it was your original incarnation..." and Deitus dragged the rusty, but still-sharp tip of the spear against Alex's cheek, drawing blood, "But...well...close enough, right?" as he brought the weapon up to slash and execute the Commander, the wooden door behind them burst open, both Alex's and his executioner's attention.

"Father! They're almost upon us!" Azazel exclaimed, running towards the center of the room before stopping abruptly, eyes widening upon sight of Alex.

"Azazel...how many times have I told you not to disturb while Daddy's working..."

"I-I'm sorry, sir...b-but they're at our gates...the one that has _Soulreaper_ has already broken through!"

"Azazel...do me a favor dear boy and come here..."

Reluctantly, the goat boy approached Deitus, the archdemon lowering the spear to his side and backing away from the Commander. Alex struggled against the tentacles, but found that it was no use, they held him fast. "Wh-What do you need, Father?" Azazel asked, attempting to conceal his fear and keep from giving the Commander eye contact.

Grinning toothily, Deitus handed the spear to Azazel, the goat boy barely managing to support the massive weapon, "Say hi to Grandpappy and then _kill_ him, won't you?"

The boy visibly started, "B-But I thought _you_ wanted to do that!"

"I changed my mind...time to be a man and make Daddy proud..." his smile narrowed into a frown of malice, "Kill him."

Reluctantly, Azazel stepped towards the Commander, breathing heavily, bearing his teeth in disgust, "C'mon!" he snarled, "Do it, boy! Be Daddy's little bitch! Let him be the coward that he is! He was never a soldier! He was too afraid to fight his own battles! Making his baby son do the dirty work for him? There's proof! Right there!" the goat boy paused before Alex, visibly trembling, "C'mon! What are you waiting for? You scared? Do it! DO IT! KILL ME!"

Azazel hesitated for several moments before rapidly turning to face his father again, "I've got a better idea! Wh-Why don't you torture him? Keep slicing and cutting him like you did to those idiot souls in Purgatory! Th-That way he can suffer! It'll be so much better!"

Deitus pondered this for several moments before nodding, "That is actually a fantastic idea..." and Azazel turned to face the Commander with a grin, winking subtly, "Except...I have a much _better_ idea," and Azazel's faced widened in fear as several tentacles punched through his back and out his stomach in a cloud of black blood.

"NO! _NO!_ " Alex roared fighting against his restraints again.

The spear clattered loosely to the ground and the tentacles that had impaled the boy, emerging from Deitus' back, levitated him into the air. "You really are a monster, dear Father...turning my own _son_ against me...tsk, tsk tsk...and yet you call _ME_ the evil one!" and without another word, the tentacles stabbed forward, dislodging Azazel's body and throwing the boy into the wall at the end of the room. One of the pillars supporting the multi-tiered chamber broke free, collapsing onto the boy's body.

Alex was breathing heavily, fuming. Never before could he recall feeling so enraged and homicidal as he did then. He tore as hard as he could, attempting to break free, but his restraints wouldn't budge. "YOU BASTARD!" he screeched, "I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, YOU PIECE OF SHIT MOTHERFUCKER!"

"So violent are we?" Deitus chuckled, retrieving his spear and approaching Alex once again.

Alex's vision was suddenly overcome in an ugly, diseased, sickly green tint, and Necrodusk spoke to him again, each word seeming to shake the world around him, _I know how to kill him! But you must trust me to have_ full _control over your body! It will shut you out, much like it did when we first encountered each other..._

"Do it..." Alex hissed beneath his breath, "Do whatever you need to do to make sure this _CUNT_ pays!"

"Language..." Deitus taunted, chuckling once again.

Instantly, the Commander felt light-headed and ill. His vision darkened dangerously, as if he was on the verge of passing out, and he felt as if his very soul was being ripped from his body. Externally, a black mist had begun to grow around him, seeping from every orifice in his body, and his skin was paling considerably.

"Now what are you doing?" the archdemon asked, cocking his head to the side, "Trying to pull some other trick out of your sleeve?" he laughed, finally thrusting the spear into the Commander's torso. However, by this time, the young man's body had become completely enveloped in the smoke, and the weapon passed through harmlessly. The smile on Deitus' face melted immediately, evolving into a homicidal scowl of barely contained anger, " _WHAT_ are you _DOING!?_ "

A grim, layered, omnipresent chuckle reverberated around the room, and the shadowy form's head snapped open, revealing eyes glowing a dark maroon, "I'm doing what I should have done all those years ago..."

" _What!?_ " Deitus fell back, visibly startled. An inhuman moan emitted from the shadowy-form, slowly building up into a hellish, pained, raptor-like screech as the being solidified into a tall, thin, humanoid form, and in an explosion of black blood and pale skin, two mighty, black-feathered wings extended from its back. The creature collapsed in a kneel, the tentacles restraining it withering away until collapsing into dust. As the tall knight stood to his full, seven-plus foot height, he raised his head to reveal two maroon orbs staring out from an ashen face, with skin stretched tautly over its skeleton. "How is this possible!?" Deitus exclaimed.

The avatar of Archangel Messoremel hovered several feet into the air, a black smoke encircling him like a cloud. With each gust of wind, his semi-solid form shimmered and dissipated into smoke before quickly reforming itself once again.

Now furious, Deitus stomped forward, attempting to thrust the spear forward again. With unnatural agility, the floating being strafed out of the way, raising an arm and firing a solid beam of pure, violet energy into the archdemon's chest, stunning him and throwing him back with a pained howl. "What _IS_ this!" as he picked himself up, however, he began to chuckle again, his smile returning, "But...you have forgotten, _Daddy_ , that _I_ am immortal! I can't be killed!" and with eerie speed, Deitus zoomed towards the avatar of Messorem, attempting to slash the creature with his spear. Messorem evaded the attack with a strafe to the right, tearing another spear free from Deitus' back and catching the second slash. The archdemon attempted to attack once more, but Messorem evaded _this_ one, too, until, impatient, the archdemon rammed into the fallen angel, throwing him backwards. Instead of landing on his back upon the floor, he caught himself in midfall and gently floated back to his normal stance, zipping towards the Lifehunter in an attempted lunge. Deitus parried this, attempting to riposte before Messorem strafed back and away from the attack.

Messorem spun around the archdemon, attempting to slash at Deitus' side, but the archdemon caught the attack with his spear, laughing wildly and saying, "You idiot! This isn't a sword!" before tearing the weapons apart, sending Messorem's weapon spinning wildly across the room. He tried to fire another energy beam into the Deitus' chest, but before he could act, the archdemon thrust the spear into Messorem's chest, impaling him and lifting him into the air. "I am more powerful than you could _ever_ hope to achieve!" Deitus roared, his weapon glowing blue as Messorem's solidity weakened and wrinkled, "And now, _dear Father_ , your life is _MINE_!"

"VITAM!" Messorem exclaimed, "HELP ME!"

"You have lost!" Deitus cackled, "And once more, I have proven that _I_ am the strongest being in the universe! That _NOTHING_ can stop me! Not even _you_! Say hello to Lucifer for me, I'm sure he'll be _happy_ to see you!"

Just then, a blade of a scythe punched through Deitus' torso in a spray of black blood. He only looked down at the injury, turning to see Vitam hovering behind him. She glowed in a brilliant white light, with a long, flowing, pure white robe around her body, concealing all but her hands, face, and clean, bare feet. Her hair poured out from beneath her hood, a brilliant red in color, and her eyes glowed a sparkling blue from her pale, lightly freckled face. She had torn the scythe from Deitus back, and as she held it, thorned vines extended from beneath her sleeves, slithering across the ancient weapon and restoring it to a look almost as if it was brand new. Snarling, Deitus tore himself off of the scythe, slapping her back across the room with the tentacles slithering out of his back. Messorem took this distraction to life himself off of the spear, tearing it free from Deitus' hands and burying it deep into the beast's chest. With a cry of alarm, the satyr fell back, and Messorem fell to the ground, black smoke pouring like blood from his wound. Once he had recovered, and Deitus began to charge towards him again, Messorem brought his hands together at his chest, firing another purple energy beam into the archdemon's chest with another force to send him tumbling back. The satyr stabilized his fall, falling to his knees and digging his claws into the stone floor, slowly crawling towards Messorem. "I AM INVINCIBLE!" he roared.

Vitam soon appeared by Messorem's side, closing her hands together, bringing them towards _her_ chest, and firing a bright, emerald green energy beam towards the archdemon. He howled in pain, once more getting thrown back before he caught himself, once more crawling towards the duo. Pieces of his flesh peeled away to expose clean white bone and muscle, regrowing almost as quickly as it was blown off. The two fallen archangels strengthened the beams, oblivious to the powerful cyclone blowing around the room, and the haunting, ghastly whispers that echoed throughout.

"YOU CAN'T KILL ME!" Deitus' mighty voice bellowed over the deafening ambiance. His body trembled as it became harder and harder to resist against the attack, and soon pieces of his _entire_ body disintegrated into dust, pixelating the creature before abruptly reforming. He managed to stand up once again, sutmbling towards them arm sheltered against his face, slowly gaining ground. Soon, his furred legs disintegrated beneath him and he collapsed to the floor once more, now nothing more than a torso slowly being blown away likes a pile of ashes in the wind. "I...WILL... _PREVAIL!_ " he howled, voice becoming increasingly strained. Finally, he was unable to resist much longer, and as his arms blew away before him, he was sent flying back towards the wall. Messorem and Vitam instantly cut off their attacks, gently lowering to the ground from their hover.

Deitus groaned, his body slowly regenerating itself, and his head snapped up to face them, eyes wild and fierce, the beast snarling in anger, "You idiots! I! CAN! NOT! BE! KILLED!" he laughed maddeningly, "To think that two felled angels like _you_ stand a chance against me! I AM THE VERY EMBODIEMENT OF IMMORTALITY!"

The door to the room burst open once again, and Nick trotted into the room, "Guys? What's g...oh holy _SHIT!_ "

Chuckling, Deitus raised one arm forward, tentacles burst forth from the ground around the boy, attempting to impale him. Nick dodged these clumsily, cutting the tentacles to pieces with his sword, each kill making the blade glow brighter. " _Soulreaper..._ " Deitus replied in awe, grin melting into a snarl of disgust.

Vitam slowly walked towards the archdemon, expression stern and unreadable.

"What are you gonna do, Mother, huh?" Deitus spat, " _LIVE_ me to death?"

In a cold, faintly layered voice, Vitam replied, "I _gave_ you your immortality...I can _take_ it _away_!"

Deitus chuckled weakly, I would _love_ to see you try!"

The fallen angel paused before her son, balling her hand into a fist and yanking it downward, as if pulling an invisible rope. Deitus' head snapped down, his eyes widened with alarm, and he struggled to breath, as if choking on something. When she released her hand, Deitus' head snapped up and he screamed as a cloud of black smoke shot from his mouth like a tornado, spreading outward across the roof of the chamber. Those ghostly, disembodied whispers returned, drowning out his screams, until the last of the smoke had left his body, and swiftly swiping her arm to the side, it caught fire like a flame to a cloud of gasoline, incinerating instantly and raining cinders to the ground. The archdemon collapsed fully to the ground here, gasping for breath, eyes wide with fear. Lowering her head and closing her eyes, Vitam turned and walked away, returning to Messorem's side.

"What...are...you gonna...do...?" Deitus gasped weakly between breaths, "Walk away? Just...like you...did all those...years ago?"

Nick, currently collapsed on the ground in shock at Vitam's display and cowering from the raining embers, suddenly stiffened, eyes wide and blank, walking stiffly towards Messorem, sword outstretched. The fallen archangel picked up the sword, approaching the weakened Deitus, still gasping for breath.

"You know...after some consideration...perhaps we can reach a mutual agreement to coexist peacefully...what do you say, Father? Agree to disagree?"

Messorem silenced the archdemon by thrusting the sword into Deitus' chest, the archdemon's eyes widening with very real fear, his jaw dropping. Kneeling close so their faces were inches apart, Messorem snarled, "I am not your father, and _you_ are not my son!"

With a sharp twist of the blade, Messorem tore the weapon free from the archdemon's chest, and Deitus instantly clutched the wound, leaking black ichor like that found on the tentacles with which he used to absorb the life force of his foes. His body began to darken in color, as if he was turning to stone, cracks spread throughout, and with a hellish scream of pain, he exploded in a sea of black fire and rocky shrapnel, a hot wind reeking of sulfur and decomposition spreading from within.

"Ugh...my head..." Nick groaned, falling to the ground and rolling onto his back, "I think I drank too much again..." rubbing his face, he saw _Soulreaper_ laying, discarded, upon the ground nearby and he quickly scampered over to it, retrieving the blade and replacing it into its scabbard at his waist. With a sigh, he turned around, eyes widening upon spying Messorem and Vitam standing before him, and he fell back with an exclamation of surprise.

Messorem walked over to his wife, taking her hands in his and touching their foreheads in mourning. In a flash of light and heat, Alex and Ruby, back in their normal forms, collapsed to the ground in a daze. The world quaked around them and the castle outside slowly lowered into the crater, becoming level with the rim while the _Filios Diaboli_ forces outside screeched in agony and abruptly dissipated or exploded, showering the world in rotted, liquefied flesh and black ooze. Deitus the Immortal was no more, and his threat finally neutralized.


	43. Chapter XLII: Veni, Vidi, Vici

_**Chapter XLII**_ **:**

 **-''** _ **Veni, Vidi, Vici**_ **''-**

 **-Isla del Diablo, Chile-**

 **-** _ **30 March 2016**_ **-**

 **-** _ **1805 Hours**_ **-**

Alex and Ruby slowly returned to their senses, both picking themselves up off the ground. Once they had recovered from their excursions, they instantly cried out for Azazel, running towards where the goat boy lay, still half-buried beneath the collapsed pillar. The boy was breathing shallowly, still alive, and laying in a puddle of blood. "Zaz..." Alex exclaimed, attempting to pull the pillar off of him, "Ruby! Give me a hand over here!"

Working together, they finally managed to pull the rubble off of the small boy, and Alex collapsed by his side, cradling his head, "Zaz! Stay with us...we're gonna get you out of here!"

His bright orange eyes were wide with fear, he blinked around in shock by what was going on, and he was driven speechless.

"Ruby! Can you help him somehow?"

She tended to his wounds, attempting to heal him, finding that it didn't work. Reluctantly, Ruby turned to face Alex, "I...I can't, it's not working..."

Azazel placed his small paw in Alex's hand, "I...I'm sorry..." his voice was small, weak, and hoarse.

"Don't apologize, Zaz," Alex replied shaking his head, "You did _nothing_ wrong..."

"I...I really _am_ a monster..."

"No, you're _not_ a monster!" Alex hissed, "You're a good soul, a _pure_ soul!"

He smiled weakly, "I...I guess that you won't...have to kill me after all...ha..."

"I would have _never_ hurt you, Zaz..." Alex frowned, gently stroking the goat boy's cheek, and he pulled the small boy close, hugging him tightly, "And I wouldn't have let _them_ hurt you either..."

Azazel's body trembled, and the Commander was aware that he was crying. "Why...?" he asked in a tiny voice, "Why couldn't _you_ have been my father?"

"Stay with us, Ruby and I will take care of you, we'll keep you safe, show you the love that Deitus never did..."

Azazel sniffled, "Perhaps in another universe...in another time...that could have been possible..." and he gently broke the embrace, leaning against the collapsed pillar, paw clutched tightly around his wound.

The Commander responded by kissing the small boy's forehead and squeezing his tiny hands in both of Alex's own. "Ruby and I love you..." Alex sighed, struggling to contain his emotions, and Ruby herself, tearing up, only nodded vigorously in response.

He smiled weakly, "I love you, too..." and with this final statement, his head rolled to the side, and the innocent light in his eyes winked out.

The Commander hanged his head in silence, uttering a small prayer before standing up. Ruby hugged her mate, burying her head in his chest and sobbing into him, "Why can't we save the people who need it most?" Ruby asked.

"The child was cursed from the beginning..." Alex replied, "I just...wish there was something we could have done before it was too late."

They heard sarcastic clapping from behind them, and both rotated on their heels to face their visitor, spying Gabriel standing there, "Well done! Well done! I _knew_ you had it in you...you slayed Deitus and saved the world, you should pat yourselves on the back...unfortunately, you're not quite finished with your job yet. Now it's time for you two to...have a little bit of fun...to bring him back to Planet Earth."

Alex exchanged glances with Ruby before saying, "We will...but there's something I ask for in return."

"You are in no position to make requests, Messorem," Gabriel chuckled, "But sure, humor me."

"I have a request, too..." Ruby replied sheepishly, "But it's...uh...kinda personal."

"Well shoot, if you guys get special requests, why don't I? After all, it was _my_ sword that killed him!" Nick asked, attracting the trio's attention, "I'm tired of being the walking dead! Can I please have my old body back?"

Gabriel chuckled, eyes darting back and forth between the three of them, "I'll see what I can do...but no promises."

"MOVE UP!" Terrias roared, shooting loose the contraption on the drawbridge to abruptly lower it. The petrified wood bridge upon the now-lowered castle island, sitting within the volcano, smashed into the crater and Alpha Company hurriedly moved up, getting into position to breach.

"Get ready!" Spyro exclaimed, "Who knows what's waiting for us on the other side of those doors!"

"Think we got a chance to kill Deitus?" Cynder asked.

"Well, we damn well better!" Spyro snarled, "We've come too far to back down now!"

As they prepared to breach, the doors suddenly burst open and all weapons prepared to fire. Terrias was the first to lower his weapon, "Son of a bitch..."

Nick was the first to stroll out of the castle, happily strolling towards the huddled group, apparently human once again. Behind him, Ruby slowly walked out, still clutching her wounded chest, leaning on Alex for support. The Commander himself was the last to emerge, cradling an alive Azazel in his arms, calming the small goat boy.

"Did you get him?" Terrias asked, holstering his weapon and approaching them.

Alex nodded, "Deitus is dead, he won't bother _anyone_ any longer...we won."

"You didn't even need us?" Kira frowned, playfully, "That's rude! Why did you drag our asses all the way out here when you didn't even need us?"

"As I said..." Alex replied, eyes narrowed towards Spyro, who bore his teeth in a low growl, "We could stop him, we just had to be careful about how we approached it."

"So what, you've got one victory under your belt, who fucking cares, your risk paid off, but I doubt that'll happen _every_ time. Now..." the purple dragon nodded towards the huddled Azazel, resting comfortably in Alex's arms, rest his head upon the Commander's chest, "Time to sever the last remaining piece of Deitus..."

"We're not hurting him, he won't turn," Alex replied.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I said so," a voice spoke, and the group turned around behind them to spy Gabriel standing upon the crater, "That should be a good enough response for you."

" _YOU_ again!" Spyro snarled.

"Be nice, Azriel," Gabriel chuckled, "Anyway, there's no need to worry about that little goat bastard...he won't turn. Haven't see anything quite like it before, honestly. First Necrodusk, now this creature..." he shrugged, "Guess we truly _are_ in the End Times when _demons_ are becoming good guys. Now, you're next mission, please do us _all_ a favor, and go kill that multiversal son of a bitch, he's getting on our nerves. So...without further ado, toodles!" and in the blink of an eye, he had vanished.

Once Gabriel was gone, Spyro turned to face Alex, "So what are we gonna do against Vergil? Should we chance an assault on New Alexandria to take it back?"

"I think we should wait awhile," the Commander replied, "At least recuperate from _this_ before we get started on that."

"Yeah? Where the fuck are we gonna go then? Doubt your parents will want us living with them until we can take the city back."

"Uncle Vergil is too dangerous to take alone..." Azazel replied, "If you try to attack him directly, he will destroy you..."

"We established that already, dumbass," Spyro hissed, "Where are we gonna go?"

"There are certain place we can go that _Filios Diaboli_ can't reach. Now that Daddy is dead, Uncle Vergil will stop at nothing to find us and kill us...he knows the next step in the prophecy."

" _What_ prophecy?"

"Deitus' resurrection," Alex frowned.

"He will do everything he can to make sure that he can either kill my daddy's reincarnation, or capture him. We need to go somewhere where his army can't reach us," Azazel said.

"How do we keep them away from us?"

"We need to go somewhere with a limestone foundation," Sam replied, and Azazel nodded in confirmation, "They cannot penetrate limestone."

"So where do we go then? I don't know anybody here who' a freaking geologist, and Aphrodite is back in New Alexandria," Spyro scowled.

"I've got an idea..." Dash replied.

"What?"

"The largest _singular_ landmass that has a limestone foundation? Tamriel, in the Gothics."


	44. Epilogue: Rebirth

_**Epilogue**_ **:**

 **-''Rebirth''-**

 **-** _ **Location Unknown**_ **-**

 **-** _ **31 March 2016**_ **-**

 **-** _ **2319 Hours**_ **-**

 _Alex awakens, his mind hazy and clouded. He doesn't know where he is, he doesn't even know_ who _he is, all he knows is that he has one goal. Something rouses him, he can sense something off...a female. There's a female in heat nearby...he is overcome with the urge to find and mate with her, and he rockets through the water, struggling at first to get used to his body. He frantically looks around at his body, noticing that he is much more streamlined and almost_ heavier _than he normally is. His flesh is a dark gray, almost black, two small fins extend from either side of his body, and his vision is short-sighted and limited. He closes his eyes, surprised when he makes an internal clicking sound...instantly the world around him is painted alight with color, he can't see clearly, but yet he just_ knows _his environment. It's like how, in a different realm, a different life, he can extend his mind throughout the land, with his eyes closed, and a chalklike outline is painted before. It's much the same here, and scanning the environment, making more of those strange sounds, he identifies the female in heat, far ahead of him, surrounded by dolphins who circle here likes sharks to a meal. She is alone, as dazed and confused as he, but she is only aware of one thing, and one thing only...she is in heat, and her egg needs fertilized._

 _Forcing himself to get used to his new body, he charges into the pod of circling dolphins, ramming into them to drive them off. Several of them attempt to mount him, but he swims out of the way, ramming violently into them to chase them away. Disoriented, he briefly surfaces to breathe, being able to see that the moon is almost as large as the whole sky above, glowing a brilliant blood-red in color, with lazy, ghostly clouds sailing lazily past. Once more, he can't see this very clearly, he just_ knows _. Breathing deeply, he dives back into the waves, navigating the ocean, searching for the female, not wanting to lose track of her._

" _Gabriel?" a male voice says, and although Alex can hear its telepathic call, he also knows that he can't interact with it, and it cannot hear him, "What are you doing?"_

" _Do not mind me, Raphael, I am merely toying with our new friends."_

" _We were told that he must impregnate her...why are you having him compete with other males? We have no time to lose."_

" _These aren't just any other males, my dear Brother...every creature down there possesses the soul of one of the many suitors we sent to tempt Vitamel during her marriage to Messoremel...she rejected every single one of them. Messoremel, however, when we tempted him with infidelity, submitted with little convincing. He must_ prove _that he's willing to do whatever it takes to father her children..._ that _is the test I am performing."_

" _We don't have time for your little games, Brother."_

" _Oh, don't worry...this lake is in Limbo, they can spend a thousand years here and not even one minute will pass in the real world. We have plenty of time."_

" _What happens if he fails?"_

" _He is trapped in a constant loop. He will keep trying until he succeeds...remembering every attempt it takes him. Eventually, he will learn how important it is to remain faithful to her, so that when he finally_ does _succeed, he will feel a newly realized love and attachment for her that he has never before experienced."_

" _Why is this necessary?"_

" _Because, it is part of what she asked of us in return for bearing a son."_

" _Part?"_

" _Yes, there is one other request she asked, which I intend to fulfill once she completes her end of the deal."_

 _Although the bull dolphin which Alex has become hears this conversation, he has no idea how to respond, and he understands very little of what is being said. All he knows is that he must reach the female and plant his seed within her. The more he digs into the pod, the more aggressive the males are, and the more distracted he becomes. However, just as he is about to subdue one of the males, nausea surges throughout his body and he suddenly finds himself at the back of the pod once more, realizing that one of the males has managed to mate her. Furious at the creature and determined to claim the cow as his own, he launches forward towards the distant pod once more, intent on reaching her. Before he has a chance to reach even the outermost members of the pod, however, that nauseating feeling reappears and he is back where he began. He rockets forward once again, going as fast as he can, trying not to get distracted, and although he manages to fend off several males and dig a little deeper into the pod than last time, he fails at his objective yet again, and once more finds himself back at the beginning._

 _Countless times this occurs, he carves his way into the pod before he is overcome with nausea and forced to restart his ethereal encounter. Making it even worse, is that he remembers every single attempt that he makes, and the more he fails, the more desperate and unhappy he becomes, the more he longs for the female. After over two thousand attempts, his carnal urges have all but subsided, and he just wants to_ reach _the female, caring little about the sexual satisfaction he must derive from her. After what feels like years of failed attempts, he finally glimpses sight of the female in question, a beautiful, majestic creature, her body gray and nearly flawless, her eyes a sparkling blue, seemingly as confused as he is about what is going on. The odor of her heat is strong around here, and his lustful appetite returns, pushing him to the limits of his stamina to reach her. Before he has a chance to even draw near to her, however, a larger bull appears above his head, ramming firmly into him and throwing him back. This bull is large and aggressive, still rather young, with flesh colored a brilliant, sapphire blue, and fierce blue eyes that gleam with an odd air of familiarity. The bull confronts him for a few moments before rapidly swimming to the female, courting her and proceeding to mount, and before he even knows what is happening, Alex once more finds himself at the back of the pod, far away from not only the cow, but the group itself._

 _Countless times he tries to reach her, countless times he draws close only for this superior bull to chase him away and steal his prize. Every failed attempt, he grows more desperate, more disheartened, aware of his enveloping loneliness and feeling betrayed that the female would choose another mate over him. Every attempt he finds that he longs for her even more, that he longs to even so much as_ touch _her, and he becomes so determined to reach her that nothing else matters to him. The thrill of competition fades away and he becomes a being hellbent on proving to the female that she should be with him, not any of the competing males._

" _Good..." the voice, Gabriel, speaks again just as Alex fails once more to the superior bull, "My experiment is working. He is feeling the pain that Vitamel felt every time Messoremel took another lover. He is feeling that betrayal, that unhappiness, that worthlessness, his eyes are opening to the truth."_

 _Alex becomes so determined that even the voices chatting on his head are completely unnoticed. He constantly searches for a way to defeat the bull and claim the female, trying to scheme for a way to defeat him. At last, he finally reaches the female once again, and Alex busies himself with distracting the cow, taking her attentions away from the circling bull. Several times the bull attempts to mount, but she seems disinterested, with Alex having captivated her interests. Eventually, the bull becomes enraged and impatient, and before too long, Alex finds himself under attack by the superior creature, very aggressive and no longer settling for imposing threats and deterring bats, but full on violence and assaults. The bull bites his neck, and as the water around him grows red, Alex can only watch as the bull claims the female once more before he is taken back to the rear of the pod, his injuries nonexistent, as if they had never happened._

 _It doesn't take long for Alex to reach the center of the pod again, where the circling dominant bull's behavior deters the other lesser males from going near her. Alex confronts this strangely familiar bull, observing his actions and responding to them appropriately to not only keep the female distracted and disinterested in him, but keep the bull himself from harming Alex. Eventually, Alex's persistence wins over the bull's stamina, he Alex takes this opportunity to assert his dominance over the exhausted creature. Tapering penis emerging from its sheathe on his belly, Alex mounts and penetrates the bull, alarming the creature as his_ own _penis emerges from his sheathe, slapping against Alex's belly. Proving his dominance over the creature, a cloud of milky white surrounding the enemy bull's lower belly, they swim side-by-side towards the female, now having drawn the attention of several more of the surrounding bulls, moving in while the two dominant competitors were dueling. The submissive bull drives them away, cutting the cow off from the others while Alex himself rolls beneath her belly, arousing her with subtle, echolocation vibrations across her genital slit and lightly raking his teeth across her skin. The water clouding around her belly, she eventually rolls onto her back, and with the submissive bull coming in from beneath to support her and carry her towards the surface, Alex takes the opportunity to mount her._

 _His tapering, eel-like penis once more emerges from its sheathe, brushing across her swollen genitals before sliding into her body. Her genital muscles massage the length of his penis, quickly drawing him to climax, and as the female trembles and shudders beneath him, milking at him, the world finally begins to lose solidity and clarity. Although he doesn't know why this is, Alex can't help but to feel that this mission—whatever this mission is—has finally been completed..._

Inside of Ruby's body, the sperm Alex's delphinic form had deposited in that ethereal dream traveled through her reproductive tract, finally reaching her uterus where the egg lay. As the egg is fertilized, the first division and cloning of the cells begins, and the egg starts to take the form of the child of which it will become. Faintly, it begins to glow in an orange aura, invisible to all, and when its eyes finally take form, it opens one to reveal a bright orange iris shining upon a whole new world...

- **END-**


End file.
